book writing template software

Write and Format Stunning Books

Create professional print books and eBooks easily with the all-in-one book writing software.

Screenshot of the Writing editor with Previewer open to iPad preview in Atticus, book writing and formating software

Works on all platforms:

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What can atticus do for you.

Write your book in the only editor built by authors for authors.

Prepare your book for publishing with easy to use and customizable templates.

Write your book in the editor built for authors

Screenshot of writing editor in Atticus, book writing and formatting software, pointing out specific elements, including: drag and drop chapters, book goals & writing habit tracker, word counter

Format Professional Books in Three Easy Steps

Seamlessly import your existing work.

Finished writing your book on another program, or want to start formatting previous works? No problem! Just import your work with a couple of clicks.

Then you can either keep writing, or begin turning your book into a beautifully formatted work of art.

Screenshot of the Upload a Book dialogue box within Atticus, book writing and formating software

Choose the look and feel of your book

Use one of our templates or design your own custom theme to create a unique look for your book.

17 templates
1200+ Unique combinations
Custom theme builder

See what your book will look like on different devices

Preview your book on a variety of devices to see what your book looks like before you publish.

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Your export will work with ANY book market and platform

and more…

A Safe and Secure Place for Your Writing

Works online and offline.

Write from here, there or anywhere. Work online, offline, in a plane or on a train – Atticus works no matter where you are.

You own your data and we keep it safe

Atticus will automatically save your words as you write and will back it up on the cloud so you don’t have to worry.

Why Choose Atticus

We’re paws down the best companion for any author.

Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook

Exporting Options

EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DOCX

EPUB, PDF, DOCX

Importing Options

Number of chapter themes, number of fonts supported, full bleed images, custom chapter theme builder, volumes and parts, large print (all features), version control.

Coming Soon

Callout Boxes

Cloud storage and backups.

$249 eBook and Print

$147 eBook and Print

Made by Authors for Authors

Whether you’re a fiction or non-fiction writer, Atticus was made with you in mind.

Works on any desktop or tablet device

We built Atticus as a Progressive Web App (PWA) which means it works on all devices with a browser, whether you’re online or not!

See what people are saying about Atticus

It’s a call worth answering..

Once upon a time, Luke Skywalker was just a farmer. Humble beginnings. Full of dreams. Then Frodo got called to carry the One Ring. Now Atticus rises, inviting authors to create and publish better-crafted books.

Jeremy Bursey Author

It’s an innovative breath of fresh air

Atticus is definitely the writing app to watch. It makes beautiful ebooks possible for everyone, and it’s an innovative breath of fresh air.

Michael La Ronn Author

One App To Rule Them All

After using Atticus to publish two books I realized how laborious my previous setup was. Atticus replaced all of the software packages I was using. With Atticus I can now write, format and export from one system.

Robb Wallace Author

Great For New Writers

I’m a new writer, and I love this program. It’s easy to use, and it’s fun. Not only that, but it’s also professional in appearance. They really have done a fantastic job, with this program. The support team is helpful and friendly.

Romantically Van Author

I’m really impressed!

My questions were answered promptly, factually, in great detail and in a friendly and encouraging manner. I find Atticus itself very appealing due to the intuitive way it works and the choices it gives.

Kay Von Randow Author

Five stars!

Atticus is easy to use and gives me so much time back by simplifying the formatting process for each new project. The team is super responsive for suggestions and troubleshooting and I’m really impressed with the end product.

Bee Murray Author

30-Day Money Back Guarantee

Love it or your money back.

We’re so confident Atticus will help you save time on Book Formatting, that we’re willing to offer you a full 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee – no questions asked!

Try it for yourself, and if you don’t see the value it gives you in the first 30 days, just let us know and we’ll refund your money in full right on the spot. What do you have to lose?

Founder of Kindlepreneur & Publisher Rocket

Save time on book formatting and get back to writing

We think authors should own their tools, so when you download Atticus, you own it. No forced subscriptions or compatibility concerns. Your work, your files, your app.

Instant Access to Atticus – Format your book on any desktop device, with or without an internet connection.
Ongoing Updates for Life – Pay once and you’ll receive ongoing updates, including new features and improvements – forever!
30-Day Money Back Guarantee – if you’re not 100% satisfied you can get your money back, no questions asked.

Price: $147

One time payment (No monthly fees. Forever.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can’t find it here? Check out our support page

Can I use Atticus on both my PC and my Mac?

Great question! Yes – you can use Atticus anywhere that has a browser or a machine that is capable of downloading software, including not just PCs and Macs, but also your tablets and even smartphones.

You can also login to Atticus from any secure device, any time.

Is it an annual subscription or a one-time cost?

Atticus is a one-time purchase and will include all future updates at no additional cost!

Do I have to be a professional formatter to use Atticus, or even tech savvy?

You definitely don’t need to be a professional formatter or designer to use Atticus. Basic computer skills are all you need to get started, and our tutorials will walk you through the entire process of formatting your book. If you get stuck, you can always get in touch with our great customer success team for more personalized support.

Is there a limit to how many books (or pen names) I can format?

You can format as many books under as many pen names as you can write – there are no limits!

Can I create both eBook and Print books?

Yes, with Atticus you can use the same file to export to both ePub and PDF for your digital and print-ready books, or you can create duplicate versions of your book to make custom adjustments unique to each version.

Write and Format Unlimited Books and Ebooks For Only $147

9 Best Book Writing Templates [+ Free Download]

Writing a book can be a daunting task and there is never any shame in getting some help. You should constantly be learning how to become a better writer.

Utilizing the many resources that are available to you will make the process easier and more efficient. There is no telling how long it will take to write your book, so some book writing templates can help speed the process up.

A book writing template acts as a guide that writers can rely on. It helps you create the blueprint for your book. They are useful tools whether you are learning how to write a book, or are already experienced in the craft.

Book writing templates are most useful for new writers who are still wrapping their head around the whole idea of writing a book. A template will give them the structure so all they have to do is let the creativity flow.

Especially for those learning how to write a novel length piece of 50,000 words or more, a book writing template will help you. It will allow you to stay organized and focused while you see your project through to completion.

The Benefits of Book Writing Templates

In addition to helping you do the writing itself, book writing software with templates have many advantages. They are there to help your book be the best it can in all areas.

Some of these templates are built into their own software, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take them and do what you want with them.

Using these templates in conjunction with Squibler may be beneficial if you are wanting to stay really organized and efficient. It is a fantastic book writing software that is designed for book writers specifically.

Between Squibler and these brilliantly designed templates, you’ll be learning how to become a better writer in no time. The templates themselves have many benefits:

Professional Design

While the content itself is the main purpose of your book, aesthetics still need to come into play. From the layout to the font, you want it to look good. Knowing how to write a book isn’t only about storytelling.

There are book writing templates that will help you with these things as well.

Book Writing Templates are Easy to Use

When trying to write a good book , you don’t want anything to overcomplicate the process. Book writing templates are there to make things easier.

A template will be easy to understand and implement.

Better Publishing Experience

When it comes time to publish your book, having the right book writing template will make for a better experience. You will already have your book laid out the way it should be.

And, if you have chosen a template with design elements as well, you won’t have to worry about the way it looks. This makes for a seamless and stress-free publishing process.

Book Writing Templates Save You Time

Writing a book directly from scratch is overwhelming and not always necessary. Book writing templates will give you a head start on the structure of your book. This will save you valuable time.

Even as you begin the writing itself, having the template there to guide you will save you from getting lost in your own story. Once one section is finished you can move onto the next.

You will never have to sit there and wonder where you should go or what should happen.

Characteristics of the Best Book Writing Templates

While book writing templates will vary in what they have to offer, many of the core characteristics will remain the same. These attributes are ones you can look out for when selecting the best book writing template for yourself.

The Best Book Writing Templates are Comprehensive

The best book writing templates are often made by professionals. This means they know what they are doing. They are well versed in the world of writing and they know what will help you.

This means they should be detailed and thorough. Nothing should be missing from the process you are trying to create. For example, a novel outlining template should have sections for all basic aspects of writing a novel:

Brainstorming
Note taking
Character sketches
Setting sketches
Chapter sections
Scene sections
Worldbuilding

Different types of books will have different requirements, but the template should include all of them.

The Best Book Writing Templates are Customizable

A good quality novel outlining template created by a professional will have a good structure that is effective. However, this doesn’t mean their method is set in stone.

A good template will allow you to customize it with ease while still maintaining its own basic structure.

For example, you might want to add more chapters than the number that is being recommended. Or, perhaps you choose to rearrange some aspects of the given novel structure. Making changes is okay – the templates are created as guides only.

The Best Book Writing Templates are Not Complex

While some book writing templates are expansive and cover lots of ground, they shouldn’t be complicated. A good template will be straightforward and easy to follow.

You should be able to navigate your way through it and know what you’re looking at. For example, the layout should have a proper flow – things should be in order. In a novel writing template, note, research, and brainstorming should all sit next to each other, while chapters and scenes are kept together.

Learning how to write a book is complicated enough. Your book or novel outlining template should be simple at its core.

The 9 Best Book Writing Templates

Many writers swear by using a template and won’t start a project without one. Because of this, many options have been created. It can be hard to find the right one.

Start by identifying what type of book you are writing, and go from there. First, find a template that is relevant, then look for one that matches your likes and preferences.

While there are hundreds of templates available, these are some of the best and most common ones. If you are new to templates, it may take going through a few to find your favorite.

Most of the templates listed below can be used with Microsoft Word, Scrivener, Adobe InDesign, or Apple Pages.

For avid Scrivener users, we do have a more comprehensive list of Scrivener templates that you might find useful as well.

The Three Act Story Plotting Template

This template focuses on the most basic level of story structure there: the beginning, the middle, and the end. This is known as the three-act story structure.

The three act template will walk you through all the elements of each act.

The Beginning:

The opening scene
The inciting incident
Call to action

The Middle:

Rising action
Turning point
Denouncement, or resolution

All of these stages will be laid out for you. Once you have finished brainstorming your story, you need simply to write through every element. This will form an excellent baseline to create an engaging and effective novel.

For more details and some questions to prompt each section, check out Evernote’s version of the three-act story plotting template here.

The Story Beats Template

This template was born from the world of script writing. It breaks the story down into “beats.” These continue to move the story along as each “beat” or milestone is completed.

This template is also available in more detail from Evernote.

The Spark Template

This book writing template was designed for novels and nonfiction books alike. It can be used with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and Adobe InDesign.

The Spark template is created to help you format your book for publishing, with less of a focus on the content itself.

This template offers support for both print and e-book publishing. You can find it available for purchase by clicking here.

The Pulp Template

This is another template that was created mainly to help you format your book for publishing. It offers a sleek and stylish design that is perfect for fiction as well as literary nonfiction.

You can buy it by clicking here.

The Britannia Template

This template is designed specifically for nonfiction writing. Another template to assist you in formatting your finished copy, it is easy to both understand and use.

It is compatible with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and Adobe InDesign. To preview and purchase the template, click here.

The No-Nonsense Novel Template

This is another book writing template that is useful for beginners and first-timers. It is an extension of the basic novel writing template that comes in Scrivener by default.

the template isn’t complex however it does offer some guidance in terms of structure and outlining. It contains sections for things like characters, settings, research, chapters, and scenes. In addition to these, it gives you a folder with a nine-point outline.

This basic but helpful template is designed for Scrivner and can be downloaded here.

The 30-Chapter Novel Template

This book writing template is a fantastic choice for first-time novel writers. While not every single novel is going to be 30 chapters, that number is a good average.

This template has a section for each of its 30 chapters already laid out for you.

Not only are they already created, but there are questions and thoughts to guide you through each chapter. These prompts are designed to keep your story on pace and keep events happening where they should.

All the chapters set up for you with their corresponding prompts. This is helpful for first-time novelists who may struggle with structure. It can also help in brainstorming for your outline if you choose to create one.

The World Building Leviathan Template

This book writing template is designed with fantasy in mind. Writing a fantasy novel requires extensive world building. A fantasy typically takes place in a realm or domain that is created entirely by the author.

This means that things such as physical laws, governments, and social classes need to be figured out. You also need to decide if you are writing a story about humans or other species. All of this is called world-building.

Building a world from scratch can be a terrifying and overwhelming thing to grasp. This is where the leviathan method comes in.

The leviathan method is simply a step-by-step look at your world. It asks you questions that create each piece of your new universe.

It is a comprehensive creation process, with a total of 52 steps. The steps and what they look like can be seen below:

As you can see, there are also sections for a “story bible,” characters, research, and more information on the world itself. A more complete world building template does not exist. This is where you want to be creating your fantasy.

Learning how to write a novel in the fantasy genre is an especially arduous task with all the different elements. This detailed and comprehensive template will take some of the pressure off.

It requires much time and effort, but it’s a template that will give you a whole new world by the end of it. If you think you have what it takes to go through the entire leviathan method, you can download the template for Scrivener here .

For a simpler and more straightforward fantasy template, you can check this one out:

This template still walks you through a fantasy novel. But, it focuses more on creating a novel that has a good structure, with fantasy specific elements.

The Personal Template

You may decide that none of the existing templates are going to work for you. It can happen – everyone is different. If this is the case, you may consider creating your own template.

Studying the professional templates already available will give you an idea of what to include for it to be successful. You can consider things like outlines, acts, parts, and varying structures.

You can create a personal combination of all the elements and suit it to your project specifically.

It won’t always be an easy task, but it may prove to be worth it in the end. You will be able to follow a guide that was curated especially for your book. If done correctly, this can help you create work that is truly fantastic.

You are never truly done learning how to write a novel. But, as you gain experience, you may be able to create successful templates of your own for others to use.

For a simple, generic guide to curating your own template, this example can be helpful:

This is an outline for a novel with no specific genre or style. It has some basic prompt for writing general fiction. You can easily add to this one and make it your own based on your book.

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Book Writing Template

Each template is different and you will need to decide which is right for you and your book. These are some factors to consider when making the decision.

Easy Navigation

Even in a large and extensive template, navigation should be easy and fast. There should be no delay or confusion when it comes to flipping from one chapter or section to another.

User-Friendly

A good template will be responsive and versatile.

It should be compatible with multiple devices and fit on multiple screen types and sizes. This ensures the maximum amount of accessibility among users.

It Should Have a Theme

The template you use should fit the theme of your book.

Don’t try to use a nonfiction template for your novel. Using a world-building fantasy template probably won’t work when trying to write a romance either.

More general templates can be good if you don’t know exactly where your story is going just yet.

For example, you know you want to write a nonfiction book but you haven’t chosen a topic yet. This general template will be helpful in sorting out the details:

You can easily add to this template to make it more specific for your book, once you figure it out.

Assess the Features and Abilities

Depending on the template’s intended usage, the built-in features will differ. Make sure you understand the available features of your chosen template. Not every feature will work for every book.

A Template Which Supports the Right Tone

You want the template you choose to use the correct language. You want to tell your story in the proper voice. Find a template that works with the style of your book.

There is a difference in the way fiction and nonfiction are written. Find a template that agrees with what you are doing.

How to Use Book Writing Templates

Many templates are versatile and serve many purposes. However, they are generally used for either planning and outlining, or actually writing the book. Below are some tips for planning and writing your book with a template.

For the Planning of the Book

As a writer, planning is always of the utmost importance. You want to achieve a good result, and those don’t come from thin air.

In addition to book writing templates, there are some other things you can do to collect and organize your thoughts. These methods are useful and effective when used in conjunction with your chosen template.

The Snowflake Method

The snowflake method is a specific process that is used to tell a story. There are steps to take and certain things you need to do to make it work.

This method is well-suited to writers who like to work in chronological order. If you like to start at the beginning and write straight through to the end, this method is for you. If you are interested, you can check out the detailed instructions we created for writing with the snowflake method here.

Track Your Story With Time

It is, of course, important to be aware of the plot of the story you are writing.

In addition to this, however, it is helpful to also consider the passage of time throughout your story. When planning the events of your book, note the time frame. How many days, months, years have passed?

Did this event happen in the morning or evening? This is a simple method that can help you keep track of where your characters are at all times. It will also help ensure you don’t get timelines mixed up and overlapped.

Chapter Outline

This is a method of writing that goes well with the 30 chapter novel template mentioned above.

The idea here is to simply outline each chapter before beginning to actually write.

To do this, go through the plot you have created and break it down into individual chapters. Once you have done that, create an outline for each chapter. This can include potential scenes, events, important revelations, character developments, etc.

Of course, things can be changed along the way. This is just one way of getting an overview of your story as a whole.

Using Book Writing Templates to Create Your Storyline

While the use of an outline is widely debated, there is no denying the need for a good quality storyline. Outline or no outline , this requires extensive knowledge of your characters and the world around them.

Well-written and relatable characters will give meaning to your story and make it memorable for the readers. There are a few things you can do to ensure you keep track of your characters as well as develop them correctly.

Create a Master List

This may or may not be necessary depending on your cast of characters. Some books contain a small handful of characters, in which case a master list might be moot.

However, any story with a large number of characters – whether big or small – is at risk of getting them confused.

This is why it might be a good idea to create a master list and keep it somewhere accessible.

All you need to do is create a list of your characters and note a few identifiable features. Name, brief backstory, and role in the story should suffice. Keep this on hand in case you need to remember who someone is or what they are supposed to do.

Biographies

In addition to a master list, it may be worth creating short biographies for each main player in your story. Details of their past and their current life situation. This will help you keep everything straight in your mind, which will translate to consistency on the page.

Readers will pick up on holes and inconsistencies in your character’s stories in no time if you allow them to be there.

Character Development Sheet

A character development sheet is something that should be done for your protagonist as well as all the other main characters.

All this entails is a list of every attribute or characteristic the character possesses. Even small things that may never appear in the story can be important in you knowing who the character is at the core.

This knowledge, even if not mentioned in the book, can be helpful in figuring out how a character would react or what they would do in a situation. This will help you create the most believable and authentic story possible.

Your readers will love a character that so closely resembles a real person.

Do Your Best Work With Book Writing Templates

If you are struggling to write your book or just want to get done faster, you can never go wrong with a book writing template. They are there as a guide and are by no means set in stone. In addition to helping you create your book, they really want to help you learn how to become a better writer.

The template you find might be a perfect fit for your book. You may find yourself making zero changes.

Or, there might be a template that you love, but it needs tweaking to fit your project. This is fine too.

While these templates are some of the best, the options really are endless. So, open up your favorite book writing software, grab your template, and get to work!

Published in Templates

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Home / Book Writing / The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book

The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book

Writing a book , fiction or nonfiction, isn’t easy, and planning what you want to write before you start can help you write faster and get books to market sooner. That’s why we personally tested four of the best pieces of story outline software on the market—tools and apps that can help you outline your books and even write them .

In this review, we'll be breaking down each of the products according to who they're best suited for—with an overview of their features and prices.

And we’ll be deciding which story software is the best for different types of writers, whether they’re fiction writers or non-fiction writers.

In this article, you will find our picks for:

The best outline software overalls
The best outline software for nonfiction authors
Other great options you might want to check out

#1. My Favorite Outline Software: Plottr
#2. My Second Favorite: Plot Factory
#3. The Novel Factory
#4. Best Nonfiction Outline: Scrivener
Put Plotting Into Practice

Just so you know–there will be affiliate links in this article. It helps me keep the coffee fund topped up, but it doesn't detract from the quality of the software we're about to discuss. What you're going to get is an unbiased view of the different software and who they're best suited to. So… let's check them out!

#1 . My Favorite Outline Software: Plottr

Plottr is a versatile software that allows you to visually plan your books . It's simple and easy to use, and it cuts out the trouble of a steep learning curve that's so often present when it comes to working with new applications. Here's a summary of what it has to offer:

Downloadable software that's always available, online or offline
Highly customizable plotting
Ease of use
An amazing character creation tool
Plot templates
Character templates
Drag and drop features for organizing plots and subplots
Different timeline and outline views
Tag and character filtering
Multiple views
Customizable series pages
Syncs with online version through Plottr Pro

Plottr's no-frills approach makes it a great application for authors looking to up their productivity, which is one of the reasons why it's my favorite.

Not only is it simple and easy to navigate, it also does just about everything you would need, especially when writing fiction.

Plottr Summary

Let's take a look at the pros and cons of Plottr and figure out if it's the right tool for you.

Plottr Pros

Easy to use–a guided tour
Highly customizable
Character and plot templates
Lifetime pricing available

Plottr Cons

No space for writing the actual draft
World-building and tagging could be better

Pricing: 30-Day Free Trial // Windows and Mac Version–$25-$65 per year // Lifetime Version–$99

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of Plottr.

#2 . My Second Favorite: Plot Factory

This software is great for all fiction writers. This doesn't mean it trumps all the others. Just that it is a software that any author of fiction or nonfiction could use without missing out on too many features.

And while I wouldn't necessarily rank it above Plottr, it still has a lot of great features, and might work better for some writers.

Plot Factory is exactly what you think it is… a great place for you to craft your plots. It's an online software –subscription-based–that allows authors to create outlines from templates, create universes and characters , track their word count goals, and more. If you're looking for a piece of software that's not focused on one specific thing, but is a great all-rounder when it comes to planning a book , Plot Factory is the right software for you.

Here's what's on offer:

Outlining with set templates
An online experience that's smooth and streamlined
Distraction-free plotting
Plotting with your own templates or free-form
Character creation templates
Universe creation templates
A name generator
Word count tracking and statistics
Story sharing and narration
Story creation

Plot Factory is super easy to use for authors who are both fiction and nonfiction, and the plotting features are pretty cool. You can create multiple stories, export them, and use plot templates or create your own.

Plot Factory Summary

To figure out how versatile Plot Factory is for authors, and whether it's a good all-round solution for both fiction and nonfiction writers, let's take a look at where its strong and where its weak.

Plot Factory Pros

Amazing plot templates to use
Easy to upload your own template or free-form plot
Good character creation system

Plot Factory Cons

No downloadable software
Not as good when it comes to world-building
Not as guided as some other tools

Pricing: Basic–FREE // Hobbyist per month/year–$9/$90 // Enthusiast per month/year–$14/$140 // Novelist per month/year–$19/$190

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR KINDLEPRENEUR READERS… You can grab your subscription to Plot Factory now, and get 35% off for 12 months using the following discount code: kpnr-35

All you have to do is enter the coupon code on checkout.

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of Plot Factory.

#3 . The Novel Factory

Fiction authors need outlining software that either guides them through the plotting process or allows them to create plots on their own unhindered. While most of the outlining software on this list does exactly that, The Novel Factory is unique in that it has a serious compilation of guiding articles and videos to help authors plot.

The Novel Factory offers authors:

A guided plotting roadmap to help authors plot their novels
Plotting templates that are tailored toward specific genres or beats
The ability to upload outlining templates if you have one you already use
Freeform outlining utility–you can outline as you see fit in the software online
Character creation
World and object creation
An entire section to write all the drafts of your novel
Daily word count tracking statistics
Submissions tracker (if you're going the traditional route)
A light and dark mode to minimize strain on your eyes

In short, this software provides everything a budding (or experienced) fiction author might need to create their novel from start to finish, including useful tips on publishing traditionally and independently. It comes in both an online subscription and a desktop download format.

Here's an example of what it's like to outline with the Novel Factory…

The Novel Factory Summary

As you can see, it's easy to edit, change, move around, and create your outline using The Novel Factory. But surely, it can't all be good, right? No software is made perfect, so… what are the pros and cons of using The Novel Factory for outlining your work?

The Novel Factory Pros:

Provides a guided plan for authors to follow if they don't know how to plot
Plotting is fully customizable (drag, drop, create, use a template or don't)
You can write your entire story in the app and export it–your work is never held hostage by the app

The Novel Factory Cons:

Costlier than some of the other software on this list
The cost of the online app is directly related to how much storage you use
You have to have an internet connection to use the online software
The desktop software doesn't work on Macs

With all of this taken into consideration, it's no wonder this is the best software around for fiction authors. But how much does it cost?

Pricing: Basic Monthly–$7.50 // Standard Monthly–$20.00 // Premium Monthly–$60.00 with a discounted rate if you choose the yearly option.

Even better… The Novel Factory has offered a 20% discount to all Kindlepreneur customers. Simply use the coupon: KINDLEPRENEUR at check out to redeem your 20% off. (That means 20% off the monthly or yearly subscription!)

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of The Novel Factory.

#4 . Best Nonfiction Outline: Scrivener

Scrivener isn't just an outlining software… it's a way of life. But seriously, it's an amazing desktop application that helps authors organize their documents in one place. It's great for fiction and nonfiction authors, but we've chosen it for nonfiction outlining because of the ease of use with which an author can create an outline template.

Scrivener allows authors to:

Populate a template that’s already laid out for you
Create an entirely new template for your book and outline
Add or delete files and folders
Create your own character sketches or place sketches
Upload other author templates
Create collections of your work
Sync your work to your mobile
Write your entire book
Format it for publishing
View your story in three different modes
Split the screen as you write so you can work on one screen while viewing the other
Organize your work with a corkboard

Scrivener is incredibly versatile and that's precisely why it works for outlining nonfiction… and for writing it. In fact, I'd say you could use it for fiction too, as long as you have the right template available. Authors can fully customize their templates as they outline:

Scrivener Plotting Feature Summary

Scrivener is an incredibly versatile tool–it's no wonder it's so popular with independent authors. But can it be successfully used for plotting your work? And what are the pros and cons of doing so?

Scrivener Plotting Feature Pros

Fully customizable
Authors have complete control over how they plot or what they write
All documents and files are available on their computer at all times
A once-off purchase!

Scrivener Plotting Feature Cons

No plotting guidance provided for new authors
Steep learning curve when it comes to understanding how to use the software

Pricing: Windows Standard License–$49 // Mac Standard License–$49 // iOS Standard License–$19.99 // Mac and Windows License–$80

Want more information? Click here to read our full review of plotting inside Scrivener.

Formatting Has Never Been Easier

Write and format professional books with ease. Never before has creating formatted books been easier.

If you are ready to jump into any of these tools and want to make sure you are plotting right, I recommend watching this mini masterclass by Jenna Moreci.

Jenna Moreci is a #1 bestselling author of dark fantasy, as well as a YouTube sensation with hundreds of thousands of subscribers. View more videos here .

Did We Miss Any Amazing Outlining Software?

These are the best story outline software applications we could find… But did we miss any in our search? Be sure to mention your favorites and your experiences on our contact page.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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37 thoughts on “ The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book ”

Dave, I’m confused. Why is there a yearly price and a lifetime price per year? Wouldn’t the lifetime price be a one-time fee because it’s for life?

Whoops…great catch. Fixed. It’s just $99 for life.

Great recap, Dave, thanks. I use Scrivener and Plottr, and am still trying to figure out how to make Plottr easier to use than just doing it in Scriv. My only comment is that I bristle at the generalized “Scrivener has a steep learning curve” idea. It has an easy-medium learning curve for the basics–anyone can get started writing and using the index cards and such right off the bat. It’s using the full capabilities of the program that is very steep. I even took a class on formatting and compiling and it’s still difficult–no wonder I jumped to Vellum as soon as I heard about it! But overall, just to write and edit, Scrivener isn’t hard.

True…but if you were to compare the ease of Vellum as to the ease of Scrivener, I’d say one is very easy to use, and the other…not so much. I think Scrivener made way too many things too difficult to do and so they get a mark for it. It’s got a lot of capabilities, but most of those extra parts are not very intuitive.

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Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook. Everything you need to craft your first draft.

Get your thoughts onto the page and explore the connections between them.

Join the conversation. Ask a question or just get to know your fellow users.

What we’re working on, interviews with users, and general prolixity.

Typewriter. Ring-binder. Scrapbook. Scrivener combines all the tools you need to craft your first draft, from nascent notion to final full stop.

Scrivener takes tools familiar to writers everywhere and integrates them in new and exciting ways.

Start a new chapter: Scrivener 3 is now available for macOS and Windows.

No matter what you write, Scrivener brings together all of your notes, research and writing so that it's always at hand.

For writing. And writing. And writing.

Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. Scrivener won't tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing.

Available for

Grow your manuscript your way.

Tailor-made for long writing projects, Scrivener banishes page fright by allowing you to compose your text in any order, in sections as large or small as you like. Got a great idea but don't know where it fits? Write when inspiration strikes and find its place later. Grow your manuscript organically, idea by idea.

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Image: The ultimate creative writing tool

See the forest or the trees

Whether you plan or plunge, Scrivener works your way: hammer out every last detail before typing a word, or carve out a draft and restructure later. Or mix your methods and do a bit of both. In Scrivener, everything you write is integrated into an easy-to-use project outline. So working with an overview of your manuscript is only ever a click away, and turning Chapter Four into Chapter One is as simple as drag and drop.

Research within reach

Need to refer to research? In Scrivener, your background material is always at hand, and you can open it right next to your work. Write a description based on a photograph. Transcribe an interview. Take notes about a PDF file or web page. Or check for consistency by referencing an earlier chapter alongside the one in progress.

Getting it out there

Once you're ready to share your work with the world, compile everything into a single document for printing, self-publishing, or exporting to popular formats such as Word, PDF, Final Draft or plain text. You can even share using different formatting, so that you can write in your favorite font and still satisfy those submission guidelines.

Who uses Scrivener?

Autobiographers
Biographers
Children's Authors
Journalists
Screenwriters
Translators

I genuinely think this is the biggest software advance for writers since the word processor. Michael Marshall Smith , NYT best-selling author.

Scrivener gives you the freedom to make a mess, the confidence to know you’ll clean it up, and the semantic relationships to tie it all together in whatever way makes the most sense to you. Merlin Mann , indie writer, speaker, and broadcaster.

If there was a list of the top five greatest apps of all time in the Mac App Store, it would start with Scrivener and then there would be four other things. Andy Ihnatko , technology columnist.

As a writer's application, Scrivener is damn near perfect; it means outlines, treatments and then first drafts can be put together in the same application. Neil Cross , author and screenwriter.

Scrivener is worth every penny: quite simply, it’s the best writers tool there is. Zoe Margolis , best-selling author.

Scrivener is the biggest leap forward in writing software since the venerable days of WordPerfect, and believe me, I’ve tried them all. Antony Johnston , comics writer and novelist.

Scrivener has so many useful features, there’s almost too many to list. Mike Sussman , Writer-Producer.

I'd thought it was yet another hobby app at first but this is genuinely for working writers with real deadlines and monster workloads. Karen Traviss , #1 NYT best-selling author.

Scrivener 1.2.4 Requires iOS 12+ Release Notes

Scrivener 3.3.6 Requires macOS 10.13+ Release Notes

Scrivener 3.1.5.1 Requires 64-bit Windows 10+ Minimum display resolution 1024x768px Release Notes

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Last updated on Dec 09, 2022

Book Writing Templates: A Writer’s Secret Weapon [Download]

No matter what level of experience you have as an author, you can always use a little help to get your manuscript off the ground. Book writing templates are tools that authors can leverage to fuel their progress: from brainstorming characters, to worldbuilding, to structuring a story, templates can help you make sure you start off on the right foot.

The goal of using a template is not to make cookie-cutter novels, but rather to better shape your book idea into a unique story. If you’re keen to receive a little help, here are 10 different types of book writing templates you can use to sketch out your stories.

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Download: Reedsy's top writing templates

Sign up below to receive all ten book writing templates featured in this post (or continue reading to download individual templates).

FREE TOOLKIT

The Top 10 Book Writing Templates

Use these to develop your characters, outline your plot, and write your book.

Or if you'd like to build your story directly in a writing app, we recommend using the free Reedsy Book Editor. Simply create your account with one click below and start outlining with the pre-made story templates — right away!

FREE OUTLINING APP

The Reedsy Book Editor

Use the Boards feature to plan, organize, or research anything.

Developing an idea

The most fundamental type of book template concerns concept development. Think of book ideas as seeds: not all of them have the potential to become a great big oak — but some do.

1. Book Development Template

To help you determine if your idea is 'fertile' enough, we've made a book development template designed to test the waters.

Our seven-part book development template will guide you step-by-step in nailing down your protagonist, supporting characters, antagonists, as well as your worldbuilding and plot structure. If that wasn’t enough, it will also help you pick your voice and point of view .

In other words, it will help you germinate that idea into a sapling that will eventually become your first draft. To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

FREE RESOURCE

Get our Book Development Template

Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

Structuring your narrative

Once you have a great story idea, you need to actually put it down on paper (or in a book editor , but paper sounds better, doesn’t it?). Many authors write when inspiration strikes, following their intuition for chapters on end without a plan. While this approach might be powerful to get things going, it can be useful to think about how to structure your novel early on in the writing process to avoid running into plot holes and writing yourself into a corner.

Luckily, in literature there are a few common story structures every author can refer to when plotting, starting with the most popular of them all 一 the Three-Act structure.

2. Three-Act Structure Template

Originally defined by Aristotle two thousands years ago, the Three-Act structure divides a story in a beginning, middle, and end. This method is one of the most commonly used when plotting novels, as it provides a basic skeleton for your story that ensures all your plot points are in place, building tension and stakes until the climax and resolution.

To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

Free Download: Three-Act Structure Template

Effortlessly plot your story with our customizable template. Enter your email, and we'll send it to you right away.

By dissecting the story in three parts of equal importance, you’ll be able to create a strong narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. You can print out the template or edit it online 一 for each section you’ll be asked to write a synopsis of what happens in the story, and a specific example of it.

3. Hero’s Journey Template

Another, more hands-on take on the Three-Act structure is the Hero’s Journey , which focuses on the transformation of a single protagonist. Divided in twelve distinct phases, it helps you deconstruct your protagonist's journey, from the initial call to adventure to the return home as a changed person.

Our template will help you write down a short synopsis about important story elements, such as:

The ordinary world where it all starts;
The call to adventure and refusal of it;
Mentors, enemies, and allies on the hero’s journey;
The moments of greatest fear and reward;
The lesson to bring home, and more.

These timeless elements have been used in countless stories, from Biblical tales to Star Wars , and will give you creative freedom while ensuring your narrative stays on track. To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

Free Download: Hero's Journey Template

4. save the cat beat sheet.

If you have trouble figuring out your list of scenes, you can get more granular with the Save the Cat template, which tells you exactly what should happen on what page. Originally developed for screenwriters, it has been widely adopted by novelists to plan their stories with theme, character development, and pacing in mind.

A Save the Cat Beat Sheet template example

The Save the Cat template builds upon the classic Three-Act structure, but further dividing a story into 15 beats that tell you when the inciting accident, subplots, and other key elements should happen. In our template, you can simply enter your target word count and it'll tell you exactly when and for how long each beat should last, so that your story doesn't lag in places where it should be motoring along.

Free Download: The Beat Sheet template

You’ll get it in your email inbox right afterward.

Outlining your story

Once you have defined your larger story structure and developed your idea, you can use a book template to go in scene by scene and keep track of the main plot and subplots, and how they fit into your book’s overall timeline.

5. Book Outline Template

Save it in your Google Sheets, edit it, move scenes around, and tweak it until you’re satisfied with the narrative flow.

Depending on your preference, our book outline templates includes three exercises that can help you create:

A basic story outline that includes all of the main variables;
A plot-driven outline that tracks your main plots and subplots by chapter; and
A simple scene list that defines each scene's purpose in the story arc.

Free Download: Book Outline template

You'll get it in your email inbox right afterward.

Building the world of your book

Apart from large-picture templates, some templates can help with specific aspects of your stories, like creating a fictional world from scratch 一 from your world’s history, to geography, to technology and more.

6. Worldbuilding Template

If you’re a fantasy or sci-fi writer, or you simply want to go deep with your worldbuilding , use our 7-part template to establish aspects such as:

Name and location;
People and language;
Social systems (religion, history, etc.);
Technology and magic; and
Economy and politics.

If you struggle to piece together all of your world’s features, this template is for you 一 print it out and spend some time with it. This will help you map the environment to the point where it feels like a real place, and you can better communicate it to your readers. To download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

The Ultimate Worldbuilding Template

130 questions to help create a world readers want to visit again and again.

Creating compelling characters

Since characters are the heart of any story, it’s important to sculpt them to the smallest detail. To help you create remarkable characters, we made two separate templates: one to thoroughly define who they are, and one to test their boundaries in hypothetical scenarios.

7. Character Profile Template

Similarly to building a world from scratch, developing an identity is not an easy task. After all, think about yourself: how long did it take you to become the person you are today? As many years as you’re old. So, how do you replicate that same process not just for one, but multiple protagonists 一 so that they feel like someone you could bump into in real life? Well, you can start by creating a detailed profile.

For each major character in your novel, you can print and fill out our character profile template. It will guide you step-by-step in detailing your character’s features, such as:

Basic information (i.e. age, occupation);
Physical appearance;
Personal relationships;
Family history;
Major life events;
Psychological traits; and
Their hopes and dreams.

The template may start with superficial traits such as appearances, but then it urges you to also look beneath the skin. So, take the time to ponder over each of the sections to give yourself the chance to create truly compelling characters that readers will resonate with.

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

8. Character Questionnaire

A character questionnaire template example

Reedsy’s Character Questionnaire

40 questions to help you develop memorable characters.

Formatting your manuscript to professional standards

Not all book templates concern the writing aspect of authorship. Some are just useful to format your manuscript in a way that adheres to industry standards before you send out your query letters .

9. Manuscript Format Template

While content matters more than how it’s presented, literary agents and publishers still expect you to present a professionally formatted manuscript. To help you not stand out for the wrong reason, you can use Reedsy’s manuscript format template.

A manuscript formatting template example

You just need to download a copy and edit it, either by writing directly in it, or copy-pasting (without formatting) the content of your novel. Again, if you want to download this specific template, insert your email below — or sign up above to receive all templates.

Alternatively, you could format your manuscript with one of the three free book templates available in the Reedsy Book Editor.

Manuscript Format Template

Get your manuscript ready for submission to agents and publishers.

10. Children's Book Manuscript Template

If you’re writing a children’s book, there are slightly different formatting rules you need to be aware of 一 for example if you’re writing in verse or adding illustration notes. Whether you’re submitting to traditional publishers or self-publishing your children’s book , you can use our template to get professional results. Again, you’ll just need to download a copy and edit it without changing the formatting.

Free Download: Children's Book Manuscript Template

Enter your email address and get your copy right away.

We hope that these templates will help you quickly test your story idea, and develop it into a solid draft. They'll hopefully serve as the framework for your wild imagination. It’s time to get writing .

Continue reading

What is the Climax of a Story? Examples & Tips

The climax is perhaps a story's most crucial moment, but many writers struggle to stick the landing. Let's see what makes for a great story climax.

What is Tone in Literature? Definition & Examples

We show you, with supporting examples, how tone in literature influences readers' emotions and perceptions of a text.

Writing Cozy Mysteries: 7 Essential Tips & Tropes

We show you how to write a compelling cozy mystery with advice from published authors and supporting examples from literature.

Man vs Nature: The Most Compelling Conflict in Writing

What is man vs nature? Learn all about this timeless conflict with examples of man vs nature in books, television, and film.

The Redemption Arc: Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

Learn what it takes to redeem a character with these examples and writing tips.

How Many Sentences Are in a Paragraph?

From fiction to nonfiction works, the length of a paragraph varies depending on its purpose. Here's everything you need to know.

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The Best Writing App for Authors and Novelists

Start your book, plot your screenplay, write your papers, organize your manuscripts, and export it for publishing - all in one place.

Organize and Plot Your Manuscripts Easily

Leave your word processor in the dust. Spend less time planning and organizing documents. Spend more time growing your ideas into books, novels, and screenplays.

Organize Quickly with Drag and Drop

Order and reorder your sections, outlines, chapters, and elements without the hassle of copying and pasting.

On Screen Sidebar for Notes, Goals , and more

Quickly access notes, elements, goals, comments, and more from the sidebar. Everything on one screen means uninterrupted writing.

The Boards

No more moving files, text, and post-its to organize your manuscripts. Get a god's-eye view of your writing. Intuitively drag and drop to plot. Manage your manuscript elements . Compile your research . All in one place.

See how the boards work

Find out more about the different Boards

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LivingWriter + (100% Optional)

We believe great writing comes from an authentic human experience. But we do believe AI can assist you in writing and barreling through creative blocks.

Our AI Outline Generator helps you structure your books effortlessly. It offers a range of templates from Hero's Journey to Romancing the Beat, to Screenplays and Academic theses. It provides a guided approach to organizing your narrative, ensuring that your stories and books are well-structured and coherent. You can feed the Outline Generator as little or as much information as you want and it will give you a plot structure and outline specifically tailored to you and your elements, with your chosen template.

Our AI does not and will never store your data, it is deleted on every session. Your data will never be used to train our AI.

Smart Text and Auto-suggest

You won’t find this in any other writing app.

LivingWriter stores all your elements and auto-suggests them in your manuscript.

As you type any character names, location, objects, etc. our editor will auto-suggest your elements.

Clicking on your elements will allow you to quickly access notes and other info for each element.

Plot Quickly with Time-Tested Manuscript Outlines

You can use the same outlines used in world famous stories and movies right inside LivingWriter. We'll lead you through each step with detailed instructions.

With our AI Outline Feature, you can even use these templates to get assistance creating a narrative just from basic ideas you haven’t fleshed out yet!

No other writing app out there will do that for you.

The outlines include, the Three Act Structure, The Hero's Journey, The Story Circle, Romancing the Beat, and many more!

See All Available Outlines

Intuitive Writing Goals and Stats

Writing goals helps you create a vision for your manuscripts. Visually seeing your goals will make a difference in your writing pace. There's no novel writing software that shows you your goals as beautifully as we do. Goals and deadlines don't have to be scary, they can be motivating!

Chapter Goals

Quickly add and update word count goals per section of your manuscript

Easy integration and support for National Novel Writing Month

Manuscript Goals

Beyond word counts, you can add deadlines to your manuscript to keep yourself on track

Session Goals

Track your word counts automatically per writing session

Keep everything in one place. Your plot, research, and elements.

With the Plot Board, you get an intuitive, modern way to organize your plot. Simply drag and drop plot points, elements, and any other plot data you want into the board. Watch your manuscript map come to life in a clear, visual way.

Outlines Board

With the Outline Board, you get an intuitive, modern way to view your manuscript. Simply drag and drop anything inside the board to rearrange your book , change up your plot or just marvel at how much you've written so far.

Research Board

With the Research Board, you can add research sections for each topic in your book. In each section you can add files, images, notes, documents, and more. Simply drag and drop to arrange and rearrange.

Elements Board

With the Element Board, you can see all the elements in your manuscript for quick editing in detailed and simple views. In addition, you have access to freeform element boards to create family trees, branching timelines, and anything else you can imagine!

Tailored To Your Tastes

LivingWriter comes in both light and dark modes. You can easily switch between them with one click. This will come in handy when you're on a writing binge at night and your eyes start to hurt. You can keep using the best writing app in the world straight through to sunrise. In addition, LivingWriter offers various color theme options so you can customize the application to look the way you want it to.

Cloud Based So Your Creativity Doesn't Have to Stop

Many writing apps out there don't link to the cloud, so you're stuck working on just one device. But we know that writing novels online , and on any device is the future. LivingWriter doesn't lock your imagination to one place. With iOS/Android/MacOS and Windows apps completely synced to the web version, write wherever and whenever.

Integrated With

Get it all out there or Share it in pieces

You're midway through your thrilling murder mystery, but you get the feeling it's not suspenseful enough. Don't worry. LivingWriter is the only novel writing software with easy sharing and co-authoring features. Share your manuscript for just viewing or allow editing.

Share Specifically

With one click of a button share your whole book or individual chapters with your friends or an editor.

Share Everything

Your notes for your chapters and elements can be shared as well.

Seamless Exports of Your Manuscripts

We make it easy to export your manuscripts in any format you’d like. Currently we offer PDF, DOCX, direct to Google Drive and Dropbox, as well as Amazon Manuscript (which gives you Amazon Manuscript sizes to send direct to Amazon KDP). Export your entire manuscript, just your elements, notes, or specific chapter, easily and intuitively.

Seamless Imports Of Your Existing Work

Wrote half of your book already? All good. Import your existing manuscripts from other programs with a couple of clicks, and see how much easier it is to finish your second half on LivingWriter. If you're coming from other writing apps like Scrivener, don't worry. You'll be able to pick up on LivingWriter right where you left off.

No Lagging , No Matter The Length

Other writing programs weren't meant to hold your 100,000 word masterpiece. You’d have to split your book up into separate docs to keep it from loading forever. With LivingWriter, each chapter and subchapter is self-contained, meaning a speedy load of your whole manuscript every time.

Never hit save again

Even if your laptop decides to have a meltdown, rest assured that your work is safe.

LivingWriter automatically saves every letter you type. Writing software that's cloud-based is the future!

Your work gets saved constantly, safely, into our Amazon Cloud Infrastructure and then we back it up for you every 10 minutes.

Our Amateur Authors and Published Authors Love

I wish I had known about LivingWriter back when I started writing! The ability to keep all my character names, ages, descriptions, etc. all organized in LivingWriter would have saved me sooooo many hours.

International Best Selling Romance Author

You’ve Found The Best Writing App!

Your work is safe.

LivingWriter works on an infinitely scalable Amazon AWS structure. No downtime or data loss ever.

Amazing Customer Service

Our staff are dedicated to improving your writing experience. Get in touch with us 24-7 to let us know how we can make your life easier.

Constantly Evolving

We've got a roadmap, but we're also always implementing new features suggested directly by our loyal writers. We're dedicated to your success. Our goal is to be the best writing app for you.

View our Roadmap

Writing Software For Fiction, Non-Fiction And Beyond!

The best writing app for fiction.

Most of our writers are spinning up fantasy, romance and science fiction stories. We've made it easy to get all your creativity and fictional elements into LivingWriter. No writing app does this better than we do.

The best writing app for non-fiction

When it comes to non-fiction we have templates for memoirs, biographies, self-help books and more. We've already had six (that we know about) self-help books published after being written on our platform!

Best writing app for world-builders

No other writing app or novel plotting software gives you the freedom that LivingWriter does. With our smart elements, beautiful board and intuitive organization, you can have your entire world built before putting down your first word.

Best software for screenwriting

You no longer have to use programs like Final Draft to write your screenplays. LivingWriter allows you to use your chapters, subchapters, and scenes with intuitive screenplay formatting. All in one writing software.

Try Free For 14 Days without any commitment!

Fiction writing for real people.

Plot (if you’re that kinda writer)
Write (focused and organized)
Edit (we've got sticky notes)

‍ Online+off, computer+mobile, autosaved, organized, focused.

Huge features. Tiny learning curve.

(The entire Lord of the Rings series – including The Hobbit – has 576,789 words.)

Writing a book is challenging. Your writing tool shouldn't be.

Act on your inspiration with access anywhere.

Never lose a word with our cloud-based writing tool that lets you access (and save) your story anywhere.

Organize your ideas and plan plot points

Develop your characters, plot your novel, and setting with feature-rich plotting and notation tools.

Become the writer you want to be

You were made to create. Dabble was made to help you.

Do it all with Dabble.

Don't let your word processor drag your process down.

Ironically enough, traditional word processors weren’t designed for writers. Dabble’s book-writing software was developed for writers, by a writer.

Avoid plot twists with online/offline backup.

We love a good horror story, but our software for book writing ensures you don’t experience one. Cloud and local storage work double-duty to make sure you never lose a word.

Rely on your writing tool.

We believe that an app for writing a book should be fully equipped to support you at every stage of the writing process – from plotting storylines and character development to your daily word count.

Everything you need to love the process:

Backup and sync to the cloud, seamlessly.

Drag and drop scenes and characters.

View story notes while you write.

Set word count goals and deadlines.

See dabble in action.

Fiction without the friction.

Dabble is the best app for writing a book. Here’s why writers of all genres rely on Dabble to bring their story to life:

" I just felt something was missing in the set up of how I was writing. And I found Dabble and guess what? I have started writing again!!! It is like night and day for me. It is absolutely brilliant how they have designed this. " Tony

" i wanted to thank you again for providing the interface and functionality i wanted. scrivener was too complex and syncing was fraught with peril. novlr lost my stories. " lorene, " i just want you to know how awesome i think dabble is. this is a really worthwhile app for any writer and while it is geared towards the novel would be useful for any long form writing. this is a fantastic product." jessica, "i just want to let you guys know that i am in love with my experience with dabble. i look forward to writing just to see my stuff laid out in front of me." anna, "dabble remains my new favorite thing. i spent last night trying out every browser-based novel-writing tool in existence. and i'm back here with dabble this morning. :)" doug, "so far it has been wonderful it motivates me to take things one step at a time with creating my first novel" mariah, "i love what you are doing and have already signed up to continue past the free trial. this product gives me so much flexibility and peace of mind. just knowing if my computer goes belly up that my work is safe is an enormous thing. so thank you and i can't wait for the goal tracker" terri, ready to dabble.

Start writing now with a 14-day free trial that comes with access to all Premium features. Lifetime plans and student discounts available.

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Let your story unfold.

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Story Planner’s easy-to-follow steps help writers plan novels, screenplays and more.

Writing is easier when you have a plan. We take you through each stage of the planning process to help you create a better story.

How Story Planner can help you

We offer a range of story plans to suit your writing style, whether you like a fast, easy planning method, or more detailed story structure.

We look at planning methods so you don't have to. We've selected the very best ways to plan a story and many popular methods used by successful writers.

Our plans can help with more than just plots. We can help you understand your characters, define your story setting, and understand why you write.

Story Planner Helper will guide you to choose the right plan. We have plans for every stage of the writing journey.

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It took J.K Rowling five years to outline the plots for her Harry Potter books - she used detailed spreadsheets and notes.

66% of writers plan their novels.

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"A pantser" is the word used to describe someone who writes without any planning. They write "by the seat of their pants."

Story structure was described by Aristotle in his "Poetics" in 335 BC. The Dramatic Structure he described is at the heart of many modern writing plans.

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Best Book Writing Software: How to Plan a Novel Using Excel

by Jeff Elkins | 22 comments

While finding a word processing tool you are comfortable with is crucial to writing, there are other types of book writing software that are just as important. Before I wrote my first novel, if you’d told me that an important part of my book writing software arsenal would be a good spreadsheet, I would have said you were crazy. I had never thought of how to plan a novel using spreadsheets, whether in Excel, Google Sheets, or any other software program.

Best Book Writing Software: How to Plan a Novel Using Excel

Now that I’ve published three novels, I realize my plots and worlds would never make sense without them.

For more unexpected (and powerful!) tools to include in your book writing software arsenal, check out our Top 10 Pieces of Software for Writers .

Writing Without Spreadsheets

I sketched out the idea for my first book on the whiteboard in my office. To share it with other writers, I’d have to take a picture of it and then write a complicated email explaining all the chicken scratch that I call my handwriting. Amending it was nonsense as well. Often I would want to change something in the plot, so I’d try to erase it with my fingers, only to remove another note by accident.

I tried transferring everything from my whiteboard to a Word document , but formatting became frustrating. I found myself scrolling and scrolling to find small notes I’d left myself.

After finally completing my first novel, I began working on an urban fantasy series with a friend. In our spare minutes at work, we would jump online and email each other ideas about the world we were building and the stories we wanted to write. As I had done with my first novel, these thoughts were transferred to a Word document that we shared through Dropbox.

It didn’t take long before this Word document became an unruly mess. Trying to decide where in the document information went was painful and finding information was worse. Soon, after a week of swapping ideas, we were spending as much time formatting the Word document as we were writing the actual story.

Making the transition to a spreadsheet system saved me from going crazy and increased my writing speed exponentially.

How to Plan a Novel Using Spreadsheets

I’m still a “new” writer. I’ve been at this for only four years and I’m finishing my fourth novel, so I’m sure this system will look different when I’m publishing book fifty. Right now, here are the ways I use spreadsheets to help plot novels.

Keeping Track of Character Information

I have a terrible memory when it comes to my own characters. Often, I forget basic details of their own lives—things like like where they are from, or how they move, or background details I’ve decided to give them on a whim as I write. My wife would tell you this isn’t surprising at all as I routinely forget my own birthday.

For the current series I’m writing, it’s been helpful to have a spreadsheet to help me remember character details. On the vertical axis of the sheet, I have character names listed. On the horizontal axis, I have important details like: birthdate, basic appearance, biggest weakness, greatest strength, quirky details, and fatal flaw. Then I’ll have multiple columns for “backstory.”

When I go to use a character I haven’t used in awhile, I’ll do a quick check of the sheet to make sure I have the character in my mind.

Charting Multi-Book Character Change

Even though only two of my three novels are in the same series, all three (and the 50+ short stories I’ve published) all live in the same world. At first, this was an accident. Pulling characters and locations from one story to another was just a game I played with myself. Sometime around story thirty, it became a personal challenge.

Doing this made me realize that I needed a long term plan for my main characters. Without one, they would become flat caricatures who never really developed. Somewhere in the middle of my second novel, I took a day to dream about the life I wanted for my five main protagonists.

The result was a spreadsheet that has a row for each character. Across the top are dates. Each cell is filled with a sentence or two describing what is happening in the character’s life at that time.

The result of creating this spreadsheet was a deep understanding of the series I’m writing. Although the narrative is flux, I can tell you how my protagonists will grow and change over the next seven books I plan to write.

Collaborating With Another Author

While I’m building out my plots and characters, my writing partner is building his. Because we are sharing a series, our ideas need to connect.

Making a spreadsheet that held the larger narrative was key, especially at the beginning of our work together. Sharing the character spread sheet I mentioned above allowed us to chart how our individual stories intertwined.

Plotting the Beats of Individual Stories

When it comes time to work on an individual book or short story, I create a different kind of spreadsheet. This sheet helps me brainstorm the plot of the story.

Across the top, I will have the beats of the story. (I like the beat system defined by Blake Snyder in Save the Cat .)

In the rows below I write the scenes I need for each beat. Each cell of the spreadsheet gets a sentence or two describing the main plot points that I need to happen. If a beat is going to take more than one scene, then I stack the cells below the column heading.

As I write the book or story, I often find the scenes changing. After I’ve finished a scene, I will go back to the sheet and edit what is there.

This sheet is also incredibly helpful for my final edit. Once the rough draft is done, I pull open the spreadsheet and read all the scenes through in order. Thus far, with every book and short story I’ve done this for, I’ve found plot holes I’ve needed to fill by taking this 10,000-foot look at my narrative.

Scene Checklists

The final type of sheet I use is a scene checklist. After my beat spreadsheet is made, I will make a simple spreadsheet that lists vertically all the scenes I need to write. Next to each scene I have a column for “Date Rough Draft Is Complete” and another for “Date Second Edit Is Complete.” This sheet allows me to build out my production schedule.

Right now, I know I will likely finish the rough draft of my fourth novel by the end of April because I know how many scenes are left to write and how long it is taking me to complete each one.

Which Book Planning Tool to Use: Microsoft Excel vs. Google Sheets

Both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel can be great for planning your book. Here are some of the pros and cons of each.

Real-time Collaboration : Work with editors, beta readers, or co-authors in real-time.
Speed : It's fast and responsive, which is useful for quickly developing an outline or managing a project.
Cost-effective : It's so cost-effective it's free!
Handling External Spreadsheets : Managing spreadsheets from other sources like Excel can be annoying.
Internet Dependency : Although there's an offline mode, the overall experience is better with an internet connection.

Familiar : If you already own or have used Microsoft Office, it should be familiar to you.
Advanced Feature : Excel is slightly more powerful than Google Sheets (although for most writing related tasks, you will likely not need advanced features).
Offline Access : Unlike Google Sheets, Excel doesn't require an internet connection, which is handy for working on-the-go.
Cost : Unlike Google Sheets which is free, Excel comes with a cost as part of the Microsoft 365 Office Suite.
Collaboration : Although Excel has collaborative features, they're more streamlined in Google Sheets.

Some Tips for Using a Spreadsheet

If you're thinking of using spreadsheets for your writing, fantastic! Here are few quick tricks I’ve learned to make the process smoother and less overwhelming.

Learn how to “wrap text.” This is crucial.
Only use a couple of sentences per cell and become comfortable with a shorthand system. Spreadsheets are for skimming, not for paragraph writing.
If you are planning on sharing the sheet with a collaborator, use Google Sheets. It's free and easy to share. Additionally, you can both work on it at the same time.
Microsoft Excel is great, but it is a little like bringing a bazooka to a knife fight. You will need only a small fraction of its capability.

Now that I’ve laid out for you how I use spreadsheets, tell me what you do. Are you an obsessive planner like I am? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants?

How do you use spreadsheets for your writing? Let me know in the comments .

Try planning out a story's beats before you write it. Take ten minutes to write four sentences that describe in general what will happen in the story. Then spend your next ten minutes writing the story. You can write a story about anything you like, or use this prompt: a character has lost something important.

When you're done, share your writing in the comments , and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers.

Jeff Elkins

Jeff Elkins is a writer who lives Baltimore with his wife and five kids. If you enjoy his writing, he'd be honored if you would subscribe to his free monthly newsletter . All subscribers receive a free copy of Jeff's urban fantasy novella "The Window Washing Boy."

How to Prepare for Writing a Book: 4 Steps

22 Comments

I have used spreadsheets for all three of my novels–one published, 2 coming. I can add text, images, whatever I need. I have a column for plot points that must be followed up on. When I’m ready for a Word draft, I simply copy-convert to text. It’s usually about 70 pages.

I don’t think I could do it any other way.

That’s awesome. i haven’t tried adding images yet. I might give that a shot.

This seems alien to me as I tend to allow the story to flow through me as it comes. I’m wondering if doing a spreadsheet after my first draft would work well. That way I could allow the story to emerge naturally, then check for coherence.

I’m jealous. If I let the story flow through me, it would come out all muddy and confused.

I seem to do most of the organizing internally before I sit down to write. For example, when I needed to write a sandplay therapy scene, I actually went to my therapy room (I was practicing as a therapist then) and created a tray as my protagonist – then wrote the scene. I never know in advance where my characters might want to go and putting them into a structure before they let me know just doesn’t seem right.

Wow, I thought that I’m crazy enough to use Excel as my tool to arranged my scenelist and drawing my casts details. Thank you for this post.

Here is some part of my scenelist:

Accident leads to true love.

The girl tried to run from the boy but accidentaly hit by a car and lost her baby. By the next morning the girl silently leaving the hospital, leaving her wedding ring and a note that their relationship is over.

The boy find out the ring and the note. All he could do is crying, regret that he had been constantly denied his own feelings towards her during their contract marriage.

That is part of my story sketches from my current fanfic project. What do you think ?

I have never been able to use an excel spread sheet, maybe if I can get an example? A a5 subject notebook is what I use…. Something with tabs or dividers. One for each character outline and Character questions that pertain to the story or their characters background. So far that is working so well.

You know what they say, if it ain’t broke… I’m glad you’ve found a system that works for you. I bet it feels good as the notebook fills with ideas. I’ve always like paper over digital for that reason. There’s something about holding all the pages in your hands.

Yep, if you have an example tho I’d like to see them. Although paper works, it takes up space as well. One note is a great tool as well, because there are tabs on the top and sides separating everything in the way I want.

Hey Debra – I’ll be adding to this post tonight or tomorrow with some screen shots and some walk through instructions. Keep an eye out.

Cool I will be. Thanks

Excellent post!! I have always been a fan of Excel . . . well, just the basics of Excel. I use it for all sorts of projects. I will definitely share this post with my writing group. Thank you for posting it.

I feel like when I start playing with the more complicated aspects of Excel that I am dabbling in dark-magic that I don’t understand. If I continue too far down the hole, something is going to have to be sacrificed.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for your post, Jeff, on spreadsheets. I wish I knew how to use them but I haven’t the slightest. I can see they make novel writing much easier than having to note everything, as I do in longhand, in my workbook. Is there a possibility to view these spreadsheets and get a simple step to step guide on how to use them? Starting from scratch?

We are going to add to this post tonight or tomorrow that gives screen shots and a walk through on how to set this up. If you check back tomorrow it should be added to the bottom of the post.

Great! I’ll put a feather in my cap if I learn ‘how to’.

I love using spreadsheets for my novel. I set up one workbook per novel. In the workbook, I have worksheet for each of the following:

1. Overview – this is everything I know about the story right now 2. Seven Pillars of the Story – this is from How to Write a Damn Good Series – the pillars include High Stakes; Unity of Opposites; Seemingly Impossible Odds; Moral Struggle; Menace; and Thriller Worthy Characters 3. Number of planned scenes and the number of planned scenes from each POV if having multiple POV characters 4. List of scenes – numbered as to tentative order in story, POV character listed, short synopsis of each scene 5. Agenda – sketches the goals, desires and probable actions of each principal character 6. Miscellaneous notes, key phrases, descriptions, details I want to include 7. Cast of characters 8. Settings – detailed 9 through ?? – an individual worksheet for each character; extremely detailed external and internal – physical and psychological

After I finish the spreadsheet I add the scenes/chapters to Scrivener and take it from there.

I love using spreadsheets as I am a bean counter by day (yes, I am an Excel Queen ;p ), writer by every spare minute I can squeeze it in. I am definitely going to read Save the Cat and work on a list of beats and scenes to fit the beats.

I wrote four sentences, then expanded them into these two pages of prose. I’m not sure how this relates to spreadsheets, but here we go. I’ve sent off for the Cat book also, which may help me to understand what I’m trying to do.

When TJ slapped Stella cross the face, he knocked her of the chair and onto the floor. “Don’t you ever call your mother a ‘dummy’ ever again,” he said. It happened so quickly, Stella didn’t know how she landed on the floor. Lauren, her mother, came out of the kitchen with her hands in baking mitts holding a tin of muffins that she’d dropped in the kitchen. That’s when Stella had called her “a dummy.”

“What’s happening here?” Lauren said when she saw Stella on the floor. She put the muffin tin on the table, looked at TJ and then at Stella. When neither of them said a word, she kneeled down by Stella and asked her, “What are you doing on the floor?”

“I slapped her for calling you a dummy,”TJ said.

“I don’t slap her, her grandparents didn’t slap her. What makes you think that you can?” Lauren said angrily. She put her arms around Stella and hugged her, then pulled her to her feet and stood hugging her. “Come sit down again and I’ll push you up to the table,” Lauren said.

“We tease each other with words like that,” Lauren said, looking angrily at TJ. “We say things affectionately, not to insult one another. You’ll have to stop taking everything so seriously,” she said.

“Well, she won’t be teasing you like that anymore,” TJ said.

“I don’t want you slapping her anymore either,” Lauren said. She took a table knife and pried out a muffin.

“They don’t look so bad,” she said about the muffins. “Just six little volcanoes, flattened some at the top.” Putting the muffin on Stella’s plate, Lauren sliced some butter and started to spread it on Stella’s muffin.

“Oh, for God’s sake, let her butter her own muffin. She’s eight years old,” TJ said.

Lauren pried out another muffin and put it on TJ’s plate, then sat down to join them for breakfast.

The next day was Saturday and TJ left early for the golf course. When Stella walked barefoot down the hardwood floor, she saw Lauren packing a suitcase.

“Well, good morning, lazybones,” Lauren said. “You surely slept late.” Stella walked to the rocking chair by the bed and sat down. She saw the two pair of shoes, lingerie, two pair of slacks, two skirts, four blouses and a bathrobe inside the suitcase.

“Where are you going?” Stella asked.

“Well, it’s such a beautiful day that I decided we’d surprise Grandmother and Gramp by driving down to visit them.”

“Really?” Stella asked. She sat up and smacked her feet on the floor. “Do you mean it?”

“Yes. I really miss Grandmother’s sand darts and home-made grape juice. How about you?”

“Oh, and everything else,” Stella said.

“Well, go get some clothes and pack them in here. We’ll stop for breakfast on the road somewhere, unless you’re starving right now.”

“I’m not hungry! I’ll get my clothes and let’s go!” Stella said. She ran down the hallway back to her room, where she pulled out jeans, shorts, t-shirts and sandals. To this small pile she added two books on horses.

“I’m ready!” she yelled, her arms full of clothes and the books as she ran back into her mother and stepfather’s bedroom.

I really like the whole spreadsheet idea but, I don’t even know what Excel is…..BUT Glenda Thompson’s workbook sounds great and I am going to USE IT! Thanks

Great ideas. Seems like your character change spreadsheet might be even better with a timeline utility. I use Aeon Timeline, which is cheap and nice. For your spreadsheet-like representation, choose “group by person” and the relationship view. That shows collapsable blocks of events for each character, what the event is, start and end dates/times, displays the elapsed time between events for each character, and a grid of people, arcs, and whatever other entities you want off the left, indicating which things or people each event is related to. Anything with a birth or creation date associated with it, like another person, shows the other person’s age at the grid point. Hard to describe, easy to understand when you see it.

Timeline Maker Pro, if you want to budget more serous money, has a spreadsheet mode where you enter and review your stuff like you do in your spreadsheet.

Thanks for your page! Your share information it helped me alot! I pray for you to be happy and successful in your life. bloxorz

I’m a total nerd and a spreadsheet lover, but I never thought to use them for novel writing. Great ideas. Thanks!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Planning a Novel: A New Use for Spreadsheets | Evelyn Puerto, Author - […] also describes spreadsheets for plotting the beats of a story and a scene checklist. Hop over to The Write…
3 Scenes That Will Boost Your NaNoWriMo Word Count | Creative Writing - […] an intense plotter. When I write the first draft of a book, I have Excel sheets filled with narrative…
3 Scenes That Will Boost Your NaNoWriMo Word Count – Art of Conversation - […] an intense plotter. When I write the first draft of a book, I have Excel sheets filled with narrative…
Why Writers Should Use Spreadsheets - Bittergreen Writer - […] Now I never would have thought of using a spreadsheet to write a novel, but some writers do. Writer…

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Develop a writer’s mindset a. Hold yourself accountable to writing your book b. Give yourself permission to be a writer c. Announce your intention to write a book
Create a book writing space
Choose your book writing software a. Google Drive b. Grammarly c. Evernote d. A notebook & pen
Determine your book's topic a. Identify your target reader b. Write about something that intrigues you c. Research potential topics d. Choose a topic you can write about quickly
Create a book outline a. Create a mindmap b. Write a purpose statement c. Create a working title d. Write an elevator pitch for your book e. Draft a working outline for your book f. Fill in the gaps with more research g. Frameworks on how to write your book
Finish writing your manuscript a. Break your book writing into small chunks b. Build the momentum to finish writing your book c. Collaborate with others
Include front & back matter a. Preface or introduction b. Foreward c. Testimonials d. Author Bio e. Glossary f. Notes g. Images
Edit your book a. Self-edit your book b. Hire a professional book editor c. Re-write sections of your book's draft using your editor's feedback d. Finalize your book title
Choose a compelling book cover
Format your book
Prepare to launch your book a. Build your book's launch team b. Develop a marketing mindset c. Create a book launch strategy
Publish your book
How To Write A Book: FAQs

In this article, we'll start with the basics. While the steps in this phase may seem to be unrelated to actually learning how to write a book , they are very important.

In fact, setting yourself up for success will help you build the foundation needed to start writing a book .

We'll talk about developing a writer's mindset to get you in a frame of mind that's conducive to writing. Then, we'll discuss how to create a writing space that will boost your writing productivity, and how to choose the best book-writing software for your needs.

Here are some tips for success as you write a book:

Develop a writer's mindset . This is all about embracing a mentality that will inspire you to start (and finish) writing your book.
Create a writing space . This is all about how to set up the ideal writing environment that fits your routine.
Use a tool to write your book . This is all about deciding on what you will use to write your book.
Get support . A strong support network, a community of peers, and a book-writing coach could be the difference between a published book and an unfinished manuscript.
Use templates where you can. We provide you with a proven book outline template in this post. But there are templates for cover layouts, formatting, and more. Don't recreate the wheel! Use these and build upon them to make them your own.

1. Develop a Writer’s Mindset

Learning how to write a book takes time, work, and dedication. It’s easy to romanticize becoming a bestseller like J.K. Rowling or Octavia Butler. However, every author has a story on how they started out and overcame adversity to get where they are today.

For example, Rowling, who had no job and was on welfare at the time, would take her children to a coffee shop and write.

Butler, who was a dishwasher and potato chip inspector at the time, would wake up at two or three in the morning to write and wrote herself mantras to keep her focused on her goals.

The first steps in learning how to write a book are overcoming mindset blocks, dealing with self-doubt as a writer , and developing a healthy frame of mind that will help you with your writing goals .

Let’s review three things you can do to circumvent roadblocks and crush challenges to keep you focused on your goal.

Hold yourself accountable to writing your book

It’s not good enough to write only when inspiration strikes. There will be days when writing is the last thing you want to be doing.

But you have to treat your writing as if it were a job, or a duty. This means holding yourself accountable, taking action, and showing up every day.

Here's how to hold yourself accountable to writing:

Set a writing goal. If you don't have a goal, procrastination will get the best of you. Determine a writing goal, including how many days a week you intend to set aside time to write, and set a deadline or due date for when you'd like to have parts of your book.
Block off chunks of time to write every week. If you’re looking for a place to start, consider one to two hours per day five days per week. The more often you write, the more you’ll develop a habit for it, and making time for writing won't be that much of a struggle.
Set a daily word count goal. Consider how many words you want to write each week. Use this Word Count Calculator to determine the goal you should aim for, depending on the type of book you are writing. For example, if your goal is 3,000 words per week and you have five chunks of time blocked off to write per week, then you’d need to write 600 words per day to achieve your weekly goal.

I write early in the morning before I do anything else for 1-2 hours. I find that as I go throughout the day and work on other projects my mind isn’t as fresh or sharp by the end of the day. However, sometimes I have ideas throughout the day that I jot down in Evernote to jump-start the next morning with a working outline.

Give yourself permission to be a writer

This might sound silly, but it's true: in order to learn how to write a book, you need to give yourself permission to be a writer. Many aspiring authors get stuck in their mindset, which prevents them from initiating and completing their writing projects.

Even successful authors feel like they aren't good enough. Acknowledge your feelings, but then shake them off, and move on with your day.

Hear this : You don't have to be an expert to learn how to write a book. You don't have to feel 100% confident to be a good writer. You don't even have to be all-knowing to teach others about your experiences or knowledge.

Here's how to give yourself permission to be a writer:

Get inspiration from other writers . When you're just starting to learn how to write a book, you might feel alone in your journey. But take comfort in the fact that other successful writers all started at the bottom, just like you. Many of them overcame seemingly impossible hurdles, but persisted with their writing dreams, anyway. Research some of your favorite authors, and read up on their stories to discover the issues they overcame to find success.
Accept where you are . Acknowledge your feelings of self-doubt, and then release them. It's okay to experience moments of feeling discouraged, but it's important that you don't let those feelings hold you back. Accept that you are beginning your journey and that this is a learning process.
Use positive affirmations . Your thoughts have a huge influence on your abilities. What you think starts to become your reality, so make your thoughts good. Use positive affirmations about yourself and your writing abilities to pump yourself up. You can even read inspirational writing quotes from famous authors for motivation.
Overcome imposter syndrome . Even expert authors and writers feel like imposters every now and again. While it's okay to experience feeling inferior, you have to eventually get over those thoughts and push on towards your goals. Connect with other aspiring writers, get yourself a mentor, and join writers conferences or writing communities.

Announce your intention to write a book

The best way to hold yourself accountable for your work is to let others know your goals. Is there someone you trust or a group of people in your network you can appoint to check in on your progress?

Perhaps there is someone who is a seasoned writer who can serve as a mentor. If so, try to have regular check-ins with this person.

One way to keep these meetings consistent is to schedule a lunch or coffee date. Talk about your progress and perhaps any challenges you’re facing. They may be able to bring a fresh perspective.

I told my wife, Ariele, and several of my closest teammates from work about my intentions to write my first book. We had regular check-ins to talk about progress. Everyone helped keep me motivated and had different feedback for me. Without them, it would have been a lot more difficult to write Inbound Content in the timeframe I did.

2. Create a Book Writing Space

The second step in how to write a book has to do with your environment. Where you choose to write will have a major impact on your writing productivity.

Find creative spaces where you can produce your best writing.

Sure, some might argue that they can write anywhere as long as they have the tools to write. But where we choose to write plays a huge role in our writing motivation and focus.

Questions to think about: Where do you work best? What surroundings inspire you most? Identify them and make it a best practice to work there consistently.

Here are creative writing spaces to write your book:

Coffee shops (classic)
Beautiful park or somewhere in nature
A dedicated writing nook at home

My main writing location is the dinette in my Airstream. I do my best work when traveling; I wrote the manuscript for my book in six weeks as I traveled the U.S. and worked full time from the road.

3. Choose your Book-Writing Software

The next step in how to write a book has to do with writing tools.

In 1882, Mark Twain sent to a publisher the first manuscript to be written on a piece of technology that would transform the writing industry: the typewriter.

Nowadays, we have computers with word processing and the internet where you can find an endless assortment of useful book-writing software and apps that are meant to help you be an efficient and effective writer. If you're writing a novel, check out this guide to novel-writing software .

You may be tempted to overload on apps because you think it’ll help elevate your writing. But honestly, less is more . The truth is that the right tools and even self-publishing companies make writing and publishing easier and more enjoyable.

Instead of overwhelming you with all the possible apps in existence, below is a list of three tools I recommend adding to your writing toolkit today (and they’re free).

Google Drive

Google Drive is one of the most versatile cloud storage services available today. But Google Drive is so much more than cloud storage. Here’s a list of ways you can use Google Drive to help you write your book:

You can organize all aspects of your project in folders (research, outline, manuscript drafts, etc.)
You can host files for your projects like images, photos, etc.
You can use Google Docs as a word processor. And we have a book writing template , specifically for Google Docs.
You can enable offline access and work on your files even when you don’t have an internet connection, such as when you’re traveling.
You can collaborate easily with others, avoiding version control issues.
You can access it from just about any device (laptop, smartphone, tablet, you name it).

Plus, Google will give you 15GB of free storage just for signing up.

If you’re new to Google Drive, here’s a list of resources that can turn you into a pro. (FYI, if you have a Gmail account, you have a Google Drive account.)

Grammarly is an editing tool that helps you identify grammatical errors, typos, and incorrect sentence structure in your writing.

Download the web extension and Grammarly will edit most anything you type in a web browser (yes, it will work with Google Docs).

You can check out this Grammarly review if you're on the fence about this one.

Inspiration can strike at any time. Capture those thoughts and ideas as they happen in Evernote . You can even sync Google Drive and Evernote. I recommend doing this, especially on your mobile device.

A Notebook & Pen

Don't underestimate the power of good ole' fashioned pen and paper when it comes to learning how to write a book, which is arguably the only essential writing tool out there.

Even if you write your entire manuscript on a trusty writing software program, you'll still want to have a dedicated notebook available for the times when inspiration strikes and you can't access a computer.

Every writer should have a notebook handy for random ideas and thoughts. You can jot these down in your notebook, then revisit them and digitally store them in your book-writing software when you're back at the computer.

4. Determine Your Book Topic

Now we'll move on to how to actually start writing a book. This is the part that seems simple, but can be more difficult than you realize.

However, once you get through the process of actually writing your book, you will gain momentum to finish it, and eventually publish it.

Learning how to write a book starts with an idea. Shat's your book idea ?

Maybe you already know exactly what you want to write about. Or maybe you have a million ideas floating on in your head, but you don't know exactly where to start.

One of the most common pieces of advice for aspiring first-time authors is: “Write what you know.” A simple phrase that’s meant to be helpful, yet it begs so many questions.

If you're struggling with a book idea, try jumpstarting your creativity by experimenting with these writing prompts .

Whether you’re writing a non-fiction how-to guide or a fictional post-apocalyptic thriller, you need to form a connection with your audience — and you can do that through emotion. The best way to create emotion with your reader is to understand them.

Here's how to determine what you want to write about and how to write it in a meaningful way.

Identify your target reader

The key to producing meaningful content is understanding your reader. You can do this by creating a reader persona — a semi-fictional representation of your ideal audience.

To get started with your reader persona, consider answering the following questions:

What’s the reader’s age? Are you writing a self-help book geared towards mature adults, or are you writing a guide for teenagers? The age of your reader will set the tone for your writing and book's context.
What’s the reader’s education level? Are you writing a book for PhD candidates, or for recent high school graduates? Depending on the answer, your writing style, verbiage, and word choice will vary.
Does the reader prefer visuals? Think about your book's potential topic and if visuals like charts, graphs, tables, illustrations , screenshots, or photographs will be expected.
What is this reader interested in? When you write a book, it's less about what you want to say, and more about what your reader needs to know. As you start to brainstorm a topic and write your book, always have a reader-centric approach.

The more you know about your reader, the better experience you can create for them.

When you start learning how to write a book, you have to make your book about the reader. What do they need to know in order to learn what you have to say?

My main audience is marketers and business owners at small-to-medium-sized businesses. They’re strapped for time and don’t need another theoretical resource. They value real-world examples to help visualize what tips and strategies look like in action.

Write about something that intrigues you

You need to write about something that spikes your curiosity, something that keeps you coming back day after day. Something that lights you up and that you're invested in.

I can’t stress the importance of this enough. If you choose a topic to write about for the wrong reason, don’t expect to create something that people will love.

You need to be able to stick with it through dry spells and bouts of non-inspiration. Your own desire to hear the story will be what drives you through learning how to write a book.

Research potential topics

In our digital age, we can conveniently research topics from the comfort of our own homes.

Google makes it easy to research just about any topic.

Here’s a list of ways to research your book concept on Google:

What content already exists? Are there already books written on this topic? If so, which ones performed well? Why did they perform well? Is there anything interesting about their content that enhances the reader’s experience? Is the market over-saturated on this topic?
What influencers exist on the subject? Are there well-known authors on this topic? Who are they? What can you learn from them?
What do you need to learn? Are there specific things you need to learn to create a rich, meaningful narrative (ex. geography, culture, time period, etc.)?

I performed extensive research before writing the manuscript for Inbound Content. It was important for me to understand what content was already out there, which content was performing well, and most importantly, how could I make my book unique. This is exactly why I included homework after each chapter to help my readers build an action plan that they could implement immediately, something I noticed wasn’t typical in other marketing books.

Choose a topic you can write about quickly

Writing your first book is invaluable because it's a serious learning experience. The process of actually writing a book and completing it will make this book a personal success for you, because of how much you will learn about yourself and your craft in the process.

Don't get hung up on a topic. If you're struggling with deciding what to write about first, go with the topic that you know best. Choose a topic or experience that you can write about quickly, with limited resources.

Here's how to find a topic you can write about quickly:

Write what you can teach right now. If you had to teach a lesson on something right at this second, what could you confidently teach? This is a topic you know well, that requires limited additional research, and what you can quickly create content for.
Write about a powerful experience. Each individual is unique in their experiences. Everyone has gone through something that changed them. Reflect on your life and think about one experience that sticks out about your life.
Write about a life lesson. What has life taught you? What unique observations have you made about the world? You can use this information to learn how to write a memoir .

5. Write A Book Outline

Once you know what you want to write about, you’re probably eager to start writing. But you need a writing guide first.

Let’s review what you can do to create a clear book outline for your book that you can use as a roadmap.

Create a mindmap

You have an idea, now it's time to hone in on just exactly what that idea is. With a mindmap , you can drill your topic down into sub-topics. It will help you get all of your ideas out and onto paper.

Here are the steps to mindmap your book's topic:

Get a blank piece of paper and pen.
Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Write your topic in the middle of the page.
Jot down all of your ideas related to your book's topic.
Do not stop writing until the timer goes off.

Once you have mindmapped your idea, you should have a full page of brainstormed thoughts, ideas, and concepts. You can then review what you've written, and begin to organize them. This will come in handy when it comes time to actually start plugging in content for your book outline.

Write a purpose statement

In one sentence describe the purpose of your book. A strong purpose statement will explain to readers why they should consider reading your book. For me, I was writing a book to grow my business .

This will also help you stay focused as you begin drafting your outline and writing your book. When you have trouble solidifying what your book is about , review your purpose statement.

Inbound Content‘s purpose statement: People who read this book will learn a step-by-step process on how to do content marketing the inbound way.

Create a working title

A working title is a temporary title used during the production of your book. Identifying your book by giving it a name can help set the direction.

Once you finish your work you can revisit the title and update accordingly. Don't get too hung up on this step; think of the title as a placeholder. It isn't permanent, but it will be helpful to begin with one in mind.

If you need help thinking of a working title, use our Book Title Generator .

Write an elevator pitch for your book

An effective elevator pitch should last no longer than a short elevator ride of 30 seconds. For context, 30 seconds equals about 65-70 words.

Having a prepared elevator pitch will come in handy throughout your book-writing process. It will help you nail your book's purpose and topic, and it will help the concept become crystal clear not only for yourself as the writer, but for your potential readers, too.

As you ask family and friends to hold you accountable to writing, and as you connect with fellow writers, authors, and mentors, you will be asked about your book. Having a prepared elevator pitch will help you nail the answer without hesitation, each and every time.

Draft a working outline for your book

The next step in learning how to write a book is drafting a working book outline. Just like the working title you created, this outline is a work in progress. The outline can change throughout your writing process, and that's okay!

However, it's super helpful to start with an outline so that you know where to begin, and have a general roadmap for where to go as you start writing.

Use the related concepts and sub-topics you organized in your mindmap, and start plugging in some content into your outline.

Your outline will do wonders for you once you start writing. It can help you avoid writer's block , and increase your writing momentum and productivity. Instead of wondering what to write about in the next chapter of your book, you'll already have an idea of where to start with your book's outline.

Fill in the gaps with more research

After your working outline is completed, it's important to do further research on your topic so that you can fill in any areas that you missed or forgot to include in your original outline.

Do not get too caught up in your research that it prevents you from writing your book. Take some time to research, but set a limit. Always go back to writing.

Here's how to research when writing a book:

Use online resources by doing a Google search on your topic.
Read other books that have been written about your topic.
Listen to expert interviews, podcasts, and audiobooks related to your topic.
Read scholarly articles and academic journals within the subject or industry.
Search archives, collections, historical journals, data records, and newspaper clippings to get clear on events, dates, and facts about your topic, especially if you're writing about the past.

Frameworks on how to write your book

If your book can follow a framework, this will make it easier to keep your writing organized and relevant.

By choosing a format or structure for your book's topic, you'll be able to align your outline in a way that will be helpful when you start to write each chapter.

Most nonfiction books can fall into a specific framework, or a blend of frameworks. It's better to start with a specific framework, then tweak it as needed as you continue writing.

Here are common nonfiction book frameworks to consider when writing a book:

Modular: Use this framework if you have a lot of information or concepts that can be grouped into similar topics, but don't need to be presented in a specific order.
Reference: Use this framework if your book will be used as a reference that makes it easy for readers to quickly find the information they need.
Three Act Structure: Use this framework if you plan to use storytelling in your book, where you have three main parts like a Set Up, Rising Action, and Resolution.
Sequential: Use this framework if your book reads like a “how to” with a specific set of steps.
Compare & Contrast: Use this framework if you need to show your reader how two or more ideas or concepts are similar to or different from one another.
Problem & Solution: Use this framework if readers need to be able to clearly identify a problem and understand the solution.
Chronological: Use this framework if each main section of your book represents a specific time or order of events.
Combination: If your book will fall under two or more of the above frameworks, then you will need to use a combination framework that's adjusted to your book's specific topic.

6. Finish Writing Your Book Draft

For many, the hard part isn't getting started with how to write a book… it's in actually finishing it!

Commit to finishing your rough draft , and you're already succeeding!

Here are our top tips to keep the momentum going as you start taking action after learning exactly how to write a book.

Break your book writing into small chunks

Now that you have your book's outline and framework, it's time to get started with writing.

Like a marathon, your manuscript is essentially a puzzle made up of many smaller like-themed pieces. Your finished book may be 262 pages long, but it’s written one word or thought at a time. Pace yourself and stick to your consistent writing schedule.

If you approach your book writing by focusing too much on the larger picture, you can get overwhelmed. Write chapter-by-chapter.

Start with baby steps by chunking your writing into small pieces. Set milestones, and celebrate the small wins.

Here are some tips for breaking your writing into small pieces:

Write one chapter at a time . Focus on one piece at a time, not the entire puzzle!
Set deadlines to complete each chunk of writing . Break your goal down into smaller sections, then set individual deadlines for each section.
Structure your writing time. Follow a routine for writing that includes time for research (if needed) and review. For example, if you dedicate two hours each day towards your book, set 30 minutes aside to review your outline so you know what you're writing about, then 30 minutes to research anything that you need to clarify, then one hour to actually write.
Celebrate small goals. As you accomplish milestones towards your end goal, schedule and celebrate your small accomplishments. It can be something as simple as going out to dinner, buying yourself a small gift, or doing a little dance.

Build the momentum to finish writing your book

Learning how to write a book can be difficult.

When you're in the weeds with writing your book, there will be days you want to give it all up.

There will also be times when you have writer's block, and even though you know what you should be writing about, it all sounds wrong as you re-read what you've written in your head.

Here's how to fight writer's block and increase your writing momentum:

Don't edit as you write. Writing and editing require your brain to work in two very different ways, so don't do it! It'll slow you down, and keep you at a standstill. Keep writing, and save the editing for later.
Switch up your scenery. If you usually write at home in your own writing space, maybe it's time to freshen up your writing environment. Try writing in a public park, or at a coffee shop or library on the days when writing is the last thing you feel like doing.
Take a break. It's okay if you're too mentally worn-out to write. Take a small break, and then get back to it. When we say small break, we mean take a day or two off from writing (not a month or two!).
Get creative inspiration elsewhere. Binge-watch an exciting new show, read a novel, take a walk in nature, go to an art gallery, or be around people you love. While you aren't writing when you do these things, it can help your brain reset and recharge so you can return to your book.
Write about something else. Sometimes, when we're so engulfed in our book's topic, it can be self-limited. If you're feeling less excited about writing when it comes to your book, maybe it's time to flex your writing muscles in a different way. Try doing some creative writing exercises, journal, or write a poem.
Supercharge your writing with AI . AI tools, such as ChatGPT , are here to empower your writing journey. They can help you generate ideas, overcome writer's block, and streamline your writing process. By integrating AI into your writing workflow, you can access instant feedback and suggestions, helping you build momentum and stay focused on completing your book.

Related: I Wrote A Book! Now What?

Collaborate with others

There's strength in numbers when it comes to accomplishing a huge task.

And, more importantly, it can help you feel less isolated in what can be a very solitary act. Writing a book can be lonely!

Let’s review three things you can do to collaborate with others when writing your book.

Connect with your original accountability partner or group

A great example of finding accountability partners is through a group or self-publishing company much like what Self-Publishing School does with their Mastermind Community on Facebook.

Attend a writer's conference

Sharing space and networking with other writers can do wonders for your own writing habits and momentum. By attending writer's conferences, you'll be in a room full of people just like you.

Not only will you be able to network with and learn from expert authors who have been where you are, but you'll also be able to meet fellow aspiring writers going through the same process as you.

Collaborate with thought leaders on your subject

Ideal for nonfiction writers, this collaboration could mean asking well-known people in your industry to write a quote that brings value to your content.

Pro tip: When promoting your book launch on social media, consider creating a buzzworthy piece of content like an engaging blog article and have your audience share it.

7. Include Front & Back Matter

Now it's time to put on your marketing pants and spread the word about your book!

There are elements outside of your book’s content that you’ll need to write, such as a preface, foreword, notes, etc. I suggest waiting until after you’ve written your book. This way, not only can you better connect them to your story, but you won’t waste time editing them in case you make changes to your manuscript.

Let’s review eight final touches you may or may not need to wrap up your book.

Preface or Introduction

Draw in your readers with a compelling story. This could be a personal anecdote related to your topic. Tell them what the book is about and why it is relevant to them (think of your reader persona from earlier).

A foreword is typically written by another author or thought leader of your particular industry. Getting someone credible to write this can add a lot of value to your readers.

Testimonials

Just like with the foreword, try and find respected, well-known people in your space and have them write a review about your book. The best way to promote yourself is to have someone else speak on your behalf.

How To Write A Book Back Cover Blurb Photo

How do you want to be portrayed to your audience? Readers love knowing personal details of an author’s life, such as your hobbies, where you live, or what inspired you to write this book.

Pro tip: The author bio on the flap of your book might be one of the first things people read when deciding whether or not to read our book. Keep it short, but make sure it packs a punch (just like your elevator pitch).

A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms or words relating to a specific subject, text, or dialect with corresponding explanations. If you are writing nonfiction, especially a topic that uses a lot of lingo or uncommon words, make sure to include a glossary to create a better experience for your readers.

If you are writing nonfiction, keep track of your sources as you research and write. A clear bibliography will only add to your value and credibility.

Being nonfiction that was based on a lot of research and experiments, I made sure to include a notes section in Inbound Content. It included citations, stats, image sources, etc.

Using images is a nice addition to your content. Images can create a more engaging experience for the reader while improving the communication of hard-to-grasp concepts.

8. Edit Your Book

The next step in learning how to write a book is editing. This involves self-editing first, then having a thorough professional edit done.

The success of your book will depend on its quality, and a thoroughly edited book is a solid way to increase your book's quality.

Even the best writers require editing, so don't feel discouraged by this process. In the end, you'll be glad you followed the editing process, and will have a completed, error-free book that you can be proud of.

Self-edit your book

Remember when we told you not to edit your book as you wrote? Well, now's your time to shine in the editing department.

Once your book is written, it's time to go through and read it line-by-line.

We recommend printing your entire manuscript out on paper, then going through each page and making edits. This will make it easy to spot errors, and will help you easily implement these changes into your manuscript.

There's a specific strategy to self-editing; if you start this process blindly, it can be overwhelming, so make sure you understand how it works before diving in.

Here are some tips to self-edit your book successfully:

Read your manuscript aloud as you edit.
Start with one chapter at a time.
First, go through and edit the chapter for structure revisions.
Second, find opportunities for improving the book's readability.
Third, make edits for grammar and word choice.

Once you complete your self-edit, you can make your revisions on your manuscript, then get ready for the next round of edits.

Hire a professional book editor

The next step in learning how to write a book is handing your book off to a professional book editor .

As meticulous as you may be, there are bound to be some grammatical or spelling errors that get overlooked. Also, a professional editor should be able to give you feedback on the structure of your writing so you can feel confident in your final published draft.

There are many different types of editing , so think carefully to determine who you should hire.

Re-write sections of your book's draft using your editor's feedback

Now it's time to improve your book using your editor's feedback. Don't be discouraged when you get your manuscript back full of edits, comments, and identified errors.

Think of these edits as opportunities to improve your book. You want to give your reader a polished, well-written book, and to do this, you need to edit and re-write.

This doesn't mean you have to re-write your entire book. You simply have to go through your editor's feedback, and make any revisions you think are necessary.

If there is something you don't agree with your editor on, that's okay. In the end, it is your book, and you are in control of what you want to add or take out of the manuscript.

Just be sure your revisions are coming from a place of sound reasoning, and not pride.

Finalize your book title

If you haven't done so already, it's time to revisit the working title you created for your book earlier in the process.

You need to finalize your book's title before you move on to the next steps!

If you need help deciding on a title, cast a vote with your target readers and mentors in your author network. Send an email out, post a social media announcement , or reach out through text with people that are considered your book's ideal reader.

Get feedback on your title by asking people to vote for their favorite. Include the top three choices, then use the crowdsourced results to narrow it down even more.

Once you have a title selected, don't worry too much if you're not 100 percent sold on it yet. Even if the title turns out to not be effective, you can always change the title depending on the publishing platform you select.

9. Choose a Compelling Book Cover

Don’t judge a book by its cover? Please. People are definitely judging your book by its cover.

The book cover design is generally the first thing that will pique a reader’s interest.

You can find freelance graphic designers to create a compelling book cover for you on many online marketplace sites like Upwork, Reedsy , and Snappa . You can even check with a local graphic design artist for a more hands-on approach.

Tips for creating an effective book cover:

Whitespace is your friend. Make it a best practice to choose a design that pops, but doesn’t distract.
Make it creative (non-fiction) or emotional (fiction). Do your best to connect the art to the story or use it to enhance the title.
Consider a subtitle. Think if this as a one-sentence descriptor on what this book is about.
Test two or three designs. Send a few designs to your trusted accountability group to get their honest first impressions and feedback.

Keeping these best practices in mind, I chose a cover for Inbound Content that was simple but made the title pop and let the subtitle provide the promise to the reader.

Book Cover Of Inbound Content By Justin Champion

10. Format Your Book

Now that you’ve written your manuscript, it’s time to format it so you can visualize the final product — your book!

Formatting your book is an important step in learning how to write a book, because it has to do with how your book will appear to the reader. A successfully formatted book will not cut off text, incorrect indentations, or typeset errors when printed or displayed on a digital device.

If you've already decided to go with self-publishing vs traditional publishing , this is all on you. But if you're not tech-savvy and don't have the time to learn how to format your own book, you can hire a professional to do this part for you.

If you know how to format a book correctly and to fit your book distributor's specifications, you can do so in Word or Google Docs. You can also use a program like Vellum Software or Atticus .

Otherwise, we recommend hiring someone to do this professionally, as it's one of the most important aspects to get right. Check out Formatted Books if that's the case for you.

11. Prepare to Launch Your Book

Before you hit “Publish” it's time to do the groundwork to start prepping for your book's launch, and your ongoing book launch and book marketing strategy.

There are a few steps involved in this process, which we'll outline below.

Build your book's launch team

This is an ongoing step that you can start doing when you are finished with your rough draft. As you send your book to the editor, designer, and formatter, you can organize a launch team in the meantime.

Your book's launch team is essentially a group of individuals who are considered your target readers. They will help you promote your book, and will be actively involved in the launch process of your book.

Develop a marketing mindset

It's time to start shifting your mindset from writing to book marketing . Think about your strengths and areas of growth when it comes to sales and marketing.

Acknowledge any fears or self-limiting thoughts you have, then push past them by remembering your book's purpose. Know that the power of sharing your knowledge and experience through your book is stronger than any fear that might hold you back.

It's important to understand in the marketing phase that your mindset has a huge role in the success of your book. You can write the best book in the world, but if you don't channel some energy towards marketing, no one will know it exists.

Here are six ways to market your book:

Paid advertisements
Free advertisement opportunities
Local or in-person events
Content marketing on Google and Amazon
Be a guest on podcasts and websites
Speaker opportunities

Create a book launch strategy

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to your launch strategy, so it's important to draft up a plan before you publish your book.

Your launch strategy is basically how you plan to create momentum with your book. Think of it like a business launch. There's always a big celebration to announce the launch of the business. It's the same for your book.

12. Publish Your Book

The self-publishing process steps will vary on whether you are publishing your book as an eBook only, or whether you plan to publish it as a print book .

It will also vary depending on which self-publishing companies you plan to work with. There are many self-publishing platforms to choose from, including KDP on Amazon and IngramSpark .

If you plan to work with a different book publisher , you'll want to follow their guidelines. You should also learn how to copyright a book to protect yourself against plagiarism.

Once you've hit publish on your platform, you can start implementing your launch strategies and marketing strategies, which we'll cover in the next section.

FAQs: How To Write A Book

If you read through this guide and have specific questions on how to write a book, here are some other questions we get often.

How long does it take to write a book?

How long it takes to write a book depends on a number of factors. on average, it takes self-published authors anywhere from 3-6 months, but that can be shorter or longer depending on your writing habits, work ethic, time available, and much more.

How much do authors make?

There is no set amount that an author can make. It depends on many factors, such as the book genre , topic, author's readership and following, and marketing success.

For a full report on this, please read our report on Author Salary

Writing a book is not a get-rich-quick strategy by any means. While learning how to write a book can help you grow your business through techniques like a book funnel , unless you sell hundreds of thousands of copies of books, you likely will not earn six figures from book sales alone.

How much money does an author make per book?

The money an author makes per book sold is calculated by the royalty rate. The royalty rate varies depending on the publishing medium, and company.

Use this Book Royalty Calculator to get a better idea of your potential earnings.

How much does it cost to write and publish a book?

With Amazon self-publishing and other self-publishing platforms, the cost to publish is actually free. However, it costs money to hire professionals that actually produce a high-quality book that you will be proud of.

For full details, read this guide on Self-Publishing Costs .

Can anyone write a book?

Yes, anyone can learn how to write a book. And thanks to the rise of technology and self-publishing, anyone can publish a book as well!

Traditional publishers used to serve as the gatekeepers to publishing, holding the power to determine which books would be published. This prevented many stories from being shared, and many talented authors from being recognized.

Thankfully, this antiquated system is no longer the only option. This also means that because anyone can technically publish a book, it is extremely important that you create a quality, professional book that's of the highest standard.

How To Write A Book Step-By-Step Infographic

You Wrote A Book!

And that’s it! Those are the steps to take to learn how to write a book from start to finish.

You can and will write your first book if you put forth the effort. You’re going to crush this!

Trust the process, create a consistent writing schedule, and use this practical guide to help you through the journey of learning how to write a book.

Are you ready to write your book?

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Screenwriting Software for Productions

The write stuff, write, share, and collaborate on industry-formatted screenplays, and then begin pre-production., explore write.

Explore all the features in the Write solution

Screenwriting

Industry-formatted scripts

Shared production notes

Story Outline

Map out your plot

Browse all solutions ➜

Path to Production

From script through pre-production.

StudioBinder’s screenwriting software is designed for today’s writers. Write and sync your screenplay with our suite of pre-production modules that will guide you all the way to production — including storyboards, sides, schedules, and call sheets.

Screenplay Format Software

Write in wga, industry format.

StudioBinder screenwriting software auto-formats margins, fonts, and screenplay elements to industry standards. Predictive features like auto-completes, keyboard shortcuts, and auto-save let you focus on what counts — storytelling

Script Imports

Import and keep writing.

Whether you have a script in Final Draft, PDF, Fountain, or Word doc, simply drag it in. We retain formatting so you don't miss a beat

Script Outlining

Outline your entire plot.

Script Versioning

Organize and track every script version.

StudioBinder’s scriptwriting software gives you an unlimited number of versions with WGA-standard color-coding, and a detailed revision history. Drafts are encrypted online, and backed up on your device for added peace of mind.

Script Collaboration

Write with collaborators.

Share your script and receive notes as you write. Add and resolve comments, script notes, task lists, and make the project stronger from the get-go.

Script Syncing

Sync your script to start pre-production.

Once your screenplay is locked, it will update across your entire project so your team can start the pre-production process, including script breakdowns, shooting schedules, storyboards, call sheets, and more.

Explore Features

More screenwriting features.

CBS Interactive Uses StudioBinder's Video, TV & Film Production Management Software

Import Scripts

Import existing scripts from Final Draft, Fountain, PDF, etc.

Generate a title page for your script that exports with your PDFs.

Autosave Settings

Select the frequency of auto-saves — anywhere from 20sec to 10min.

A notepad and checklist for all your inspirations, ideas, and reminders.

Scene Numbering

Choose between digits, letters, or a custom shot numbering system.

Incremental Versions

Scenes added from other modules generate a new version automatically.

Lock Screenplay

Lock your script version to prepare it for the remaining pre-production steps.

Generate PDF

Export PDFs with custom settings like layout, color, scenes, and more.

Export a .SBX file to import into other StudioBinder accounts.

Header & Footer

Add a custom header and/or footer to your exported script PDF.

Add watermarks to your exported script PDF for extra security.

Renumber Scenes

For a clean slate after a number of revisions, reset scene numbers.

Screenplay Example

Give it a look.

Take a tour of StudioBinder’s scriptwriting software. Explore a sample screenplay below.

Free Scriptwriting Software for Filmmakers - Scriptwriting Software - Collaboration - StudioBinder

" StudioBinder’s screenwriting is intuitively designed for film and video professionals heading into pre-production."

Jourdan Aldredge, PremiumBeat

Trusted by the Best

Modernizing production workflows at renowned studios worldwide.

Explore Solutions

What else can studiobinder do.

See all the ways we can improve your production workflow.

Industry-standard scriptwriting software and note taking.

Screenplays

Industry scriptwriting

Production note taking

Identify all the pre-production details you need to know

Script Breakdowns

Tag script elements

Script Sides

Share script scenes

Stripboards

Make shooting schedules

Create DOOD reports

Visualize the script to get everyone on the same page

Storyboards

Envision every scene

Mood Boards

Convey look and feel

Break down shot details

Collaborate with department heads as you prepare for production

Production contacts hub

A timeline of production

Team collaboration

File Sharing

Share docs and media

Create, send, and track call sheets.

Call Sheets

Trackable call sheets

Manage location details

Today’s productions use StudioBinder to streamline their process, and collaborate on better content together.

"I can be a part of the conversation and see when someone finishes a task."

Watch Testimonial ➜

"StudioBinder makes pre-production that much quicker for out team."

"Call sheet confirmations have instantly made our life that much easier."

The building blocks of production.

Better together..

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Movie Magic Scheduling
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Storyboard That

A visual medium requires visual methods. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques.

We’re in a golden age of TV writing and development. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? We’re here to help.

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IMAGES

The Best Book Writing Software to Help You Write Your Book Faster
The Best Free Book Writing Software For Your New Novel
Design your own book layout for print in Microsoft Word with these free
9 Best Book Writing Templates [+ Free Download]
3 Free Book Templates (Which One Should You Use?)
Book Writing Templates: A Writer’s Secret Weapon [Download]

VIDEO

Book template || Book cover template #shorts
Professional textbook layout template in Word
Top 10 most famous writers in the world #writer #bookslover
How to Write a Book Outline with AI: Rapid Book Outline Method
Novelize
Book template || book formatting #shorts

COMMENTS

Book Writing Software (2024): Top 10 for Writers
The 10 Best Pieces of Book Writing Software. First, there is no such thing as the perfect book writing software. No amount of key features or book writing templates or editing features will write a book for you. Still, these ten book writing software options can help. Take a look at the pros and cons of each: "
Book Writing Software (2024): 15 Tools to Write & Edit
9 Free Book Templates for Authors [+ Outline Generator] Writing, Design, Printing, Production | 14 mins. How to Write a Book in 12 Simple Steps [Free Book Template] Writing | 33 mins. ... Book writing software is a program designed to streamline the book writing process. It is essentially a word processor with added benefits specifically ...
Atticus
Create professional print books and eBooks easily with the all-in-one book writing software. Works on all platforms: Windows; Mac; ... Finished writing your book on another program, or want to start formatting previous works? ... Use one of our templates or design your own custom theme to create a unique look for your book. 17 templates; 1200 ...
9 Free Book Templates for Authors [+ Outline Generator]
Here are the steps to write a book in Microsoft Word: Step One: Download a Microsoft Word book template (more instructions on this below) Step Two: Open Microsoft Word on your computer and click "File" then navigate to "Open.". Select your template file. Step Three: Your file will open and appear on the screen.
Top 10 Book Editing Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)
Price: This is a free online book editing software. 10. Microsoft Word . Microsoft Word is a globally used software for writing and editing documents. It provides a simple and user-friendly interface for editing. Using Word, you can check your document's spelling and grammar. Word also has a thesaurus and an option to read aloud the text.
The Best Novel Writing Software of 2024 (+ 5 Free Programs)
FastPencil (word processor and exporter) — free. Bibisco (story planning and word processor) — free. Evernote (word processor and organizational tool) — free. FocusWriter (writing productivity tool) — free. Freedom (site blocker and time management tool) — $6.99/month.
The Best Book Writing Software of 2024: Scrivener, yWriter ...
Campfire Write. Price: Starting at $1.50 per month. Another option for science fiction and fantasy writers is Campfire Write. Created with these genres in mind, this web-based book writing software lets you map your story by Elements (characters, locations, maps, species, cultures, philosophies, etc.), which can be purchased individually, as ...
15 Best Novel Writing Software For Authors
2. Bibisco. Bibisco is a small novel writing software made by an Italian author. Its major selling point is the ability to plan your novel with different narrative strands and that it allows you to add in-depth notes and planning cards for different scenes. Bibisco is attractive as the best writing software for novels.
Best Book Writing Software: Top 15 Programs for Writers
4. NovelPad. NovelPad, first launched in 2020, is one of the newest book writing software tools on our list. It's a novel writing software designed by and for novelists. Like Scrivener, NovelPad is a word processing tool that lets you rearrange scenes and story beats by dragging and dropping them.
The Reedsy Book Editor: A FREE Online Writing Tool
The Reedsy Book Editor is a free online writing tool allowing any author to format and create professional ePub and print-ready files in seconds. The @ReedsyHQ Book Editor allows you to write, format, edit and export - for free! reedsy. Connect. reedsy marketplace. Assemble a team of pros.
9 Best Book Writing Templates [+ Free Download]
The 30-Chapter Novel Template. This book writing template is a fantastic choice for first-time novel writers. While not every single novel is going to be 30 chapters, that number is a good average. This template has a section for each of its 30 chapters already laid out for you.
The Best Software to Plot or Outline Your Book
Scrivener Plotting Feature Cons. No plotting guidance provided for new authors. Steep learning curve when it comes to understanding how to use the software. Pricing: Windows Standard License-$49 // Mac Standard License-$49 // iOS Standard License-$19.99 // Mac and Windows License-$80. Check Out Scrivener Here.
Scrivener
Scrivener is the go-to app for writers of all kinds, used every day by best-selling novelists, screenwriters, non-fiction writers, students, academics, lawyers, journalists, translators and more. Scrivener won't tell you how to write—it simply provides everything you need to start writing and keep writing. Available for.
Book Writing Templates: A Writer's Secret Weapon [Download]
Free Download: Three-Act Structure Template. Effortlessly plot your story with our customizable template. Enter your email, and we'll send it to you right away. By dissecting the story in three parts of equal importance, you'll be able to create a strong narrative that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.
LivingWriter
Start your book, plot your screenplay, write your papers, organize your manuscripts, and ... you can even use these templates to get assistance creating a narrative just from basic ideas ... murder mystery, but you get the feeling it's not suspenseful enough. Don't worry. LivingWriter is the only novel writing software with easy sharing and co ...
The Best Book Writing Software for New Writers: Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word is the industry standard word processing software. While limited in its features for writing books, it provides a familiar platform for writers to create, share, and review their work. Pros: Familiar Interface: Known and used by many, making collaboration easier.
Dabble Book Writing Software
The choice of writers on a publishing track. Save 20% with an annual subscription. $23/month USD. Includes everything in Standard plus: Advanced grammar and style checks. Word tools like in-context Thesaurus and Read-to-me. Co-authoring. Priority support via chat. Wordsmith Workshops.
Home Page
Easy A-B-C steps to help plan story structure. Save, edit and export your plans. Try popular planning methods like the "Snowflake Method" and "The Hero's Journey". Keep all your ideas saved in one place. Add to and develop them when inspiration strikes. Try Story Planner Novel Launcher to take you from idea to a book outline in 6 simple ...
Book Writing Software For Authors
Scribble handles a lot of this technical heavy lifting for you, so you can focus on doing what you do best… telling stories. Scribble.so. Software version 1.8.0. Use scribble to help you write your books and novels. We help writers and authors by offering a suite of writing productivity and improvement tools.
Best Book Formatting Software: 9 Options for Layouts
Overall, Atticus is one of the best do-it-yourself book formatting tools on the market. If you can afford the $147 for the program, it will be well worth your investment in your author career. You can check out our Atticus review post for even more features, pros, and cons. 4. Microsoft Word.
Best Book Writing Software: How to Plan a Novel Using Excel
Spreadsheets are for skimming, not for paragraph writing. If you are planning on sharing the sheet with a collaborator, use Google Sheets. It's free and easy to share. Additionally, you can both work on it at the same time. Microsoft Excel is great, but it is a little like bringing a bazooka to a knife fight.
Free and customizable book templates
Skip to start of list. 76,924 templates. Black and Beige Minimalist Journal Book Cover. Journal by Maulart. Read A Book Motivational Quote Instagram Post. Instagram Post by OneRz. Yellow Brown Bird Illustration Little Childrens Book Cover. Book Cover by Canva Creative Studio. Stack of Books Flyer.
Top 10 Screenplay & Scriptwriting Software (Free & Paid)
Final Draft software has 40+ templates to choose from for writing your screenplay or script. An Outline Editor to create a specific outline and structure for your screenplay acts or scripts. ... Top 10 Book Writing Software, Websites, and Tools in 2024; Top 10 Book Writing Apps of 2024: Free & Paid!
15,000+ Templates
15,000+ Awesome Templates Of 2024. Select from over 15,000 templates from the portfolio, business, fashion, technology, education, blog, and other trending themes. All templates are fully responsive and available for free. Last Updated: Jun 02, 2024.
How to Write a Book in 12 Simple Steps + FREE Book Template
Here's how to write a book in 12 steps: Develop a writer's mindset. a. Hold yourself accountable to writing your book. b. Give yourself permission to be a writer. c. Announce your intention to write a book. Create a book writing space. Choose your book writing software.
Free Screenwriting Software for Your Entire Production
From script through pre-production. StudioBinder's screenwriting software is designed for today's writers. Write and sync your screenplay with our suite of pre-production modules that will guide you all the way to production — including storyboards, sides, schedules, and call sheets.
Top 10 Script Writing Software: Boost Creativity with AI
Step. Copy and paste. Check the 3 versions of the generated script, and select one you like. Copy and paste it onto your own file. 2. Fade In. Fade In is a screenwriting software program that professionals use to write motion-related screenplays, including teleplays, radio plays, video games, stage plays, and more.